THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MINOR DERMATOLOGICAL SURGERY IN THE GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS OFFICE AND PATIENT SATISFACTION IN RELATION TO OUTPATIENT SURGERY

BACKGROUND: The minor surgery by family physicians increase the prymar e care competences. The purpose of this work is to prove patients' sat isfaction and minor surgery effectiveness practiced by family physicia ns in health centers with respect to ambulatory's general surgeon. MAT ERIAL AND METHODS: Case-control retrospective study, comparing dermato logical 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: descrip tive samples homogeneity, surgery effectiveness (waiting time, estheti c results, healing time and number of visits, and histopathologic corr elation) and patients' satisfaction (with the waiting time, with the r esults of surgery and with the physician). RESULTS: Minor surgical pro cedures carried out by 146 family physicians and 61 general surgeons w ere compared, in congruence with the analyzed descriptive homogeneity' s parameters. Family physicians average waiting time was the lower, wi th a mean of 45 days less than the general surgeon. Patient's satisfac tion with the physician was higher when family physician were involved (p < 0.001); the same could be applied for the waiting time (p < 0.00 1). There were no significant differences over the effectiveness and p atients' satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The dermatologic minor surgery by f amily physician is effective, satisfactory for patients, and has less waiting time. This results justify the introduction of minor surgery i n the family physicians office.