Medicus, Vol. 9 No. 1_Kronične bolesti, 2000.
Review article
Chronic Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases in GP/Family Medicine Out-Patient Clinic
Slavko Lovasić
Abstract
An unavoidable role of a doctor specialist of
general/family medicine in the treatment and follow-up of
chronic non-communicable diseases has been discussed in
this article. A family doctor is the closest and the most accessable
to a chronic patient in solving his requirements. A number
of chronic diseases is increasing every day. We attribute
this to the prolonged life expectancy and ever better and more
contemporary diagnostics and therapy of individual disease.
Life expectancy, in the last hundred years, has been prolonged
by 100% and advancement of medical achievement is unmeasurable.
Researches prove that at the age between 37 and 57
it can be expected that a man suffer from 3 to 4 chronic diseases.
At 65 year of age a number of chronic diseases doubles
and after that at least one chronic disease is expected in
each decade. The basic task of a doctor of family medicine is
prevention, timely discovery, treatment and follow-up in general
environment, where a chronic patient lives, works and
dwells. Acceptance of the therapy and therapeutical procedures
should be evaluated continually and followed up with
emphasis on decrease of side effects and compliance increase.
It is necessary to enable each patient a higher level of
qualitative life. Occurance of chronic disease and newly-established
situation initiates constant impulse for other family
members to start caring for their own health. Each chronic disease
and each chronic patient requires strictly individual attitude.
Nowdays a patient is well informed on diseases and
interested in their treatment.
Keywords
family doctor; chronic diseases; follow-up
Hrčak ID:
19192
URI
Publication date:
26.1.2000.
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