‘Health-Policy Workshops’ started at Istanbul Medipol University

The first of the Health-Policy Workshops organized by the Research Center for Healthcare Systems and Policies (SASPAM) was held at the South Campus. As part of the workshop, Dr. Ömer Ataç from Istanbul Medipol University School of Medicine made a comprehensive presentation on the “New Family Medicine Regulation” that came into effect on November 1, 2024. Topics discussed during the session included changes in the family medicine system, health literacy, and new rules brought about by the regulation.

Click here to watch the video about the news.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND SALARY CALCULATION CRITERIA HAVE BEEN REGULATED
Dr. Ömer Ataç stated that important changes have been made in the working conditions and salary calculation criteria of family doctors and said: “Previously, family physicians received salaries according to the number of people registered with them. With the new regulation, this number has been reduced from 4,000 to 3,500. The remaining people will be distributed to the new health centers that will be opened.” Referring to the performance-based incentive system, Dr. Ataç said: “Under the new regulation, family physicians will now be subject to the work discipline rules that apply to civil servants. Previously, there were difficulties in supervision due to flexible working hours. The regulation aims to ensure work discipline.”

DR. ATAÇ: FAMILY PHYSICIANS SHOULD RAISE THEIR PATIENTS’ AWARENESS
In his speech, Dr. Ömer Ataç stated that incentive payments have also come into play for smart drug use and said: “A 6.3 percent incentive payment will be made to doctors who are successful above the provincial average. However, this system has led to some objections. For instance, a doctor who prescribes necessary drugs 100 times may earn less than a doctor who prescribes unnecessary drugs 50 times. It is being debated whether this situation is fair.” Dr. Ataç explained that the inclusion of patient satisfaction rates in the incentive system has also raised questions among doctors: “According to the new regulation, the performance of doctors will also be evaluated according to patient satisfaction. However, some doctors think that such evaluations are also unfair.” Drawing attention to the use of antibiotics at the end of his presentation, Dr. Ataç said: “Patients cannot decide for themselves whether they need antibiotics. What is expected of family physicians is to prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics by educating the patient.”

Click here to watch the video about the news.

PROF. AYDIN: WE AIM TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO HEALTH-RELATED ISSUES
Prof. Sabahattin Aydın, Director of Istanbul Medipol University Research Center for Healthcare Systems and Policies (SASPAM), made statements about the purpose of the meetings. Emphasizing that the focus of the workshops is to discuss current health-related problems and develop solution suggestions, Prof. Aydın said: “We mainly put on the table the health-related problems that concern our country and are as current as possible. We aim to reach a certain conclusion by discussing these issues with the help of experts and, if possible, to provide solution suggestions.” Drawing attention to the importance of sharing the information obtained with the public, Prof. Aydın noted: “Our main goal is to document the data we have put forward and publish it on our social media platforms and website.” Stating that they will also support academic studies if more in-depth research on health policies emerges, Prof. Aydın said: “If more detailed research topics emerge from here, we want to guide master’s and doctoral students who are conducting academic research.”