Changing the institution of the family doctor in Kazakhstan: the experiences of medical staff and mentors of residents

Abstract

Background At this point in the health care reform process in Kazakhstan, it is very important to fully implement Data Driven Management methods. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence on how this reform, as well as the family doctor’s professional mission and training standards, are perceived by medical practitioners themselves. The study is aimed at revealing the opinions of medical practitioners about primary health care reform and the family doctor’s professional mission and training standards.Methods An interview was used as the qualitative research method in this study. Data from the Kazakhstani focus group research on the family doctor’s professional mission and training standards. The interviews were conducted in four focus groups with experienced health professionals and nurses from Kazakhstan medical institutions where residents do their internships. Each interview group had 8–10 informants.Results As a result of the study, a generalized content and categorization of the subjective perceptions of health professionals were obtained, reflecting their views on the reform of the primary health care sector and on the role of the family doctor and other health professionals.Conclusions Health professionals in Kazakhstan escalate important problems of modern health care and professional development, as well as the interaction of health professionals of different categories – family doctors, specialist doctors and nurse practitioners. At the same time, some of the problems raised have a universal, international character, while others reflect the socio-cultural specificity of healthcare in the countries of the former Eastern bloc.

Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine confidence among primary care providers in Kazakhstan, March–April 2021

“…Each physician has 1,500–5,000 patients in their catchment area. Physicians are responsible for disease management programs, including tuberculosis diagnosis and management and administration of vaccination, patient education and other tasks ( 16 ). They play a critical role in promoting vaccination by providing accurate information about vaccines, addressing concerns and misconceptions, and administering vaccines to patients.…”