A new era begins in family physician practice! No need to visit hospitals anymore

The integration between primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare services has been completed in family medicine system. Family doctors will now be able to request tests directly from hospitals, eliminating the need for additional appointments.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health, digital integration between primary healthcare services and secondary and tertiary healthcare services has been finalized. Starting from January 1, 2025, this system will be implemented in all provinces. Family doctors and Healthy Life Centers will be digitally integrated with hospitals.

Direct Test Requests Thanks to this system, family doctors can now directly request tests such as INR, X-rays, mammograms, and newborn hip ultrasounds. Patients will not need to go to the hospital or schedule a clinic appointment; instead, they can get their tests done directly, and the results will be visible on the family doctor’s screen.

Special Quotas for Examination Appointments Additionally, family doctors will have access to special quotas for their registered patients in the Central Physician Appointment System (MHRS), allowing them to book hospital appointments. These quotas will be reserved for their own patients. When a family doctor decides to refer a patient to a hospital after a check-up, they can create a referral or doctor’s note through the health information management system, which will be visible to the hospital’s doctors.

Feedback from Hospital Doctors Doctors at secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions can provide feedback to family doctors after evaluating patients referred by them or those who directly visit the hospital. These feedback notes will be visible to family doctors via their health information management systems.

No Need for Re-appointment When family doctors request laboratory tests, an e-Nabız code will be generated for the patient. The patient won’t need to register for a new appointment at the hospital, and there won’t be any duplicate requests for tests from hospital doctors. If the patient doesn’t visit the hospital within three business days (excluding mammograms and ultrasounds), the code will expire.

Direct Test Requests and Referrals Family doctors can directly request imaging tests for their registered patients via their health information management system from secondary or tertiary healthcare institutions. For tests like mammograms or ultrasounds for newborns, family doctors can create appointments through the system and share them with their patients.

Health Life Centers and Referrals Doctors in all healthcare levels can also create appointments for their patients at Healthy Life Centers through MHRS. The relevant personnel at the centers, such as physicians, dietitians, psychologists, and physiotherapists, can view the information through their systems. They can also create notes regarding the consultation, which can be accessed by doctors in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare services.

Through this integration, all test results and healthcare information will be accessible to both the patient and their healthcare providers through the e-Nabız platform. This initiative aims to streamline healthcare processes, ensuring smoother communication between family doctors and hospitals, and improve patient care.