General practice in Greece: a student's and supervisor's perspective

The present study reports the observations of an Australian medical student, his reflections on these observations and commentary from the Greek supervisor.

One urban General Practice at the University Hospital in Heraklion, Crete and three community health centres in rural Crete.

Points of comparison were formed during the patient's consultations and clinical investigations.

Although the level of knowledge and GP's competence in Crete and New South Wales appear to be similar and there is an impression that the patient satisfaction in Greece is comparable to that in Australia, a striking feature in Greek primary care is the communication between practitioner and patient, as well as the poor level of note keeping. In contrast, Primary Care in Greece seems to be far more involved in research.

To attain a higher quality in primary care, leading to a better outcome for the people of Greece, the primary care physicians need more effective vocational training and the appropriate support from health authorities.