General Practitioner Britt

"As a general practitioner, I often experience that the time available for consultations is limited. This can be a challenge when I am to provide a thorough assessment of my patients' needs."

Time challenges

I enjoy working with many other parts of the health service, such as home nursing, physiotherapists, psychologists, and social workers. As a general practitioner, I often find that the time available for consultations is limited. This can be a challenge when I am to provide a thorough assessment of my patients' needs. Communication with these entities is often time-consuming, as they are also dependent on each other.

Regarding the IT systems in the health sector, I find that they are not optimally designed for collaboration across different health levels. The lack of available data, real-time communication, and analytical tools limits the ability to be proactive in identifying and handling complex health problems.

Furthermore, as a general practitioner, I face challenges related to limited resources. This affects my ability to offer comprehensive follow-up and support, especially in more complex patient pathways, where patients have chronic diseases or complex health challenges.

Coordination of health services

Pasienter som Astrid, Olav og Lars får jeg mer og mer av. Dette understreker at flere pasienter blir eldre og har ofte flere tilstander som krever at behandlingen må koordineres med mange aktører både fra primærhelsetjenesten og på sykehuset. Også flere yngre pasienter har nå behov for at deres helsesituasjon blir vurdert helhetlig og med utgangspunkt i deres preferanser. Det kan være særlig utfordrende når det er involvert både somatisk og psykiatrisk lidelse, slik tilfellet er med Lars.

To address these challenges, system changes, investments in training, and the development of supportive IT systems are necessary. This also demands a cultural change within the healthcare system to establish arrangements that make it easier to compile the resources needed to provide patients like Astrid, Olav, and Alfred with the treatment and care they need. Additionally, I may encounter a lack of understanding from colleagues in the specialist health service who think more diagnosis-related and where each diagnosis is treated separately.

I know that the hospital and municipalities have established an interdisciplinary team that works closely with specialists at the hospital, surrounding municipalities, and general practitioners, to which I can easily refer patients like Astrid.  

This team can assist in developing a holistic plan tailored to her specific needs and preferences and coordinate those involved in her treatment.

This task would be challenging for me as a general practitioner to coordinate and implement during a busy day at the doctor's office.  

I seek more information on how to refer the patient, how I am informed, and what my responsibilities are after the patient has been referred. More information can be found here (Norwegian), especially see points 2 and 3.