[Effectiveness of dermatologic minor surgery in the office of the family physician and patient satisfaction in relation with ambulatory surgery]

Abstract

Background: The minor surgery by family physicians increase the primary care competences. The purpose of this work is to prove patients' satisfaction and minor surgery effectiveness practiced by family physicians in health centers with respect to ambulatory's general surgeon.

Material and methods: Case-control retrospective study, comparing dermatological surgical procedures performed by 4 family physicians and 8 3rd-year Family Physician residents with surgical procedures wade made by a surgeon over one a year period. Variables analysed include: descriptive samples homogeneity, surgery effectiveness (waiting time, esthetic results, healing time and number of visits, and histopathologic correlation) and patients' satisfaction (with the waiting time, with the results of surgery and with the physician).

Results: Minor surgical procedures carried out by 146 family physicians and 61 general surgeons were compared, in congruence with the analyzed descriptive homogeneity's parameters. Family physicians average waiting time was the lower, with a mean of 45 days less than the surgeon. Patient's satisfaction with the physician was higher when family physician were involved (p < 0.001); the same could be applied for the waiting time (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences over the effectiveness and patients' satisfaction.

Conclusion: The dermatologic minor surgery by family physician is effective, satisfactory for patients, and has less waiting time. This results justify the introduction of minor surgery in the family physicians office.