Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development
  • Year: 2019
  • Volume: 10
  • Issue: 10

Enhancing Family Medicine Practice in Developing Countries through a Holistic-Comprehensive Care Model: A Review

  • Author:
  • Stefanus Supriyanto1,, Ernawaty2, Febri Endra Budi Setyawan3, Retno Lestari4
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • Page Number: 774 to 778

1Professor, Department of Health Administration and Policy, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, Jl Mulyorejo kampus C Unair, Surabaya, Indonesia

2Department of Health Administration and Policy, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, Jl Mulyorejo kampus C Unair, Surabaya, Indonesia

3Doctoral Student, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, Jl Mulyorejo Kampus C Unair, Surabaya, Indonesia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Jl. Bendungan, Sutami, 188

4Doctoral Student, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, Jl Mulyorejo Kampus C Unair, Surabaya, Indonesia; Study Program of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brawijaya, Jl. Veteran, Malang

*Corresponding Author: Stefanus Supriyanto, Professor, Department of Health Administration and Policy, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, Jl Mulyorejo kampus C Unair, Surabaya, Indonesia, e-mail: stefanussupriyanto2018@gmail.com

Online published on 23 December, 2019.

Abstract

The family medicine practice is a model for delivery of health care to the entire population, enhancing a patient focused and integrated primary health care systems. Unlike other medical specialties, family medicine practice includes biological, psychological, socio-spiritual, and all disease entities. Although considerable researches have been devoted to explain the concept of family medicine, rather less attention has been paid to its practice in developing countries. This study aims to review the empirical literature on a holistic-comprehensive care model implemented in family medicine practice particularly in developing countries.

This study reviews alternative approaches to understand what “best practice” in family medicine is. The authors searched ‘family medicine practice’, or ‘family medicine’, ‘primary health care’ and ‘developing countries’ and ‘holistic’, and ‘comprehensive’ in address field from Google Scholars, Proquest and Science Direct dating from 2003 to 2019. Sixteen articles were included in the study out of 171 articles reviewed.

A holistic-comprehensive care model consists of four primary concepts of care: clinical care, professional behavior in clinical practice, family medicine practice management and clinical practice facilities and equipment.

The future studies of family medicine practice could focus on the promotion of a more sustainable delivery of healthcare. This study concludes by synthesizing concepts for a new family medicine practice, and suggests how a holistic-comprehensive model might contribute to thinking about the future of family medicine practice in developing countries.

Keywords

Family Medicine, Family Medicine Practice, Developing Countries, Holistic-Comprehensive