One-day general practice morbidity survey in Sri Lanka

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Research
• General Practice Epidemiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• National morbidity surveys are crucial for understanding population health needs and informing health policy.
• Sri Lanka conducted its first nationwide general practice morbidity survey in 1996 to address a long-standing data gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient needs and demand for care within general practice.
• To describe the morbidity patterns encountered by general practitioners (GPs).
• To determine the average daily workload of GPs in Sri Lanka.

Main Methods:

• A random sample of 75 GPs participated, completing a Practitioner Profile Questionnaire (PPQ).
• Encounter forms (EF) recorded reasons for encounter (RFE) and problems managed during consultations on a specific day.
• Data on RFEs and problems were centrally coded using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC).

Main Results:

• 34 GPs (43.3%) submitted encounter data; the GP profile revealed a male predominance (7:1) and an older age demographic.
• The average daily GP workload was 74 consultations, with GPs managing an estimated 26.5% of primary care morbidity.
• Respiratory and general conditions were the most frequent reasons for encounter (55%), with common symptoms dominating. Children constituted 32% of consultations, a significantly higher proportion than in the general population.

Conclusions:

• General practice in Sri Lanka manages a wide range of common illnesses, chronic diseases, and preventive care, highlighting the need for family medicine in medical curricula.
• Training programs should emphasize child and elderly care, reflecting the patient demographics seen in general practice.
• Incentives may be required to encourage more doctors to pursue careers in general practice to meet community healthcare demands.