Researchers: Khaled Karkabi¹, Hadass Goldblatt², Anat Drach-Zahavy², Aya Biderman³

Background: Family physicians’ work environment is changing, necessitating examination of required developmental directions, to help them realize their mission.

Objectives: To examine desired family medicine developmental directions according to the core values, the work environment, the needs of the health system, patients and physicians.

Method: Mixed method. The qualitative phase included 5 focus groups (n=52 family physicians); 5 focus groups (n=42 patients), and 24 individual interviews with policymakers.
At the quantitative stage, 411 family physicians and 508 patients responded to a questionnaire, developed based on the focus groups’ data findings.

Findings: The core values. Seven out of the 13 values were found as significantly different between family physicians and patients. The three most important values from physicians’ perspective were:
1. Good communication with patients;
2. Trust relationships;
3. Multi-disciplinary knowledge. Patients rated physician’s availability as most important.

Actions to family physicians realize their mission:
1. Reducing workload;
2. Reducing the burden of bureaucratic tasks;
3. Allocating more time to complex patients.

The three most important developmental directions according to family physicians and policymakers:
1. Developing unique expertise alongside general specialty;
2. Being partners in the treatment of the oncological patient;
3. Helping patients process knowledge in the technological age.

Conclusions: In examining the desired directions in family medicine, one should consider:
1. The importance of the core values in the eyes of family physicians and patients;
2 The actions that will help family physicians achieve their mission;
3. Developmental directions according to physicians and policymakers.

Recommendations: It is recommended that policymakers consider ways to:
1. Develop a work environment that enables the realization of family medicine values;
2. Reduce the gaps between physicians and patients regarding the perception of the importance of professional values, among physicians and patients.

Research end date: 11/2018