It is in our offices that the heart of the health care system beats

Dr. Michal Sutkowski, president-elect of the College of Family Physicians in Poland:

(...) This is a celebration of specialists, whom you do not always think of as specialists. Meanwhile, as far back as 1961, White said that a family medicine specialist in a good health care system is able to meet 90 percent of health needs. It is worthwhile for patients to know this, who often think that only a specialist in another field, and not the one working in the PCP, can cure them.

The second is Dovey's 2003 study, which confirmed that despite the development of technology, the family doctor is still able to manage 90 percent of the health needs of both adult and pediatric patients. Mac Marci, on the other hand, proved in 2009 that the large number of family physicians working in a patient-friendly system translates into fewer hospitalizations, unnecessary examinations, and a reduced degree of "medicalization." In short, family doctors reduce these sometimes unnecessary medical activities in the system. This is particularly evident in France, where half as much is spent on health as in the US, and the system is more efficient. Another is the 2001 Starfield study, which says that if we have a large number of family medicine specialists, the patient lives longer - in spite of all sorts of conditions. The family doctor guarantees that the patient lives longer because he is simply closer to the patient, he is rooted differently in the system. I would like to draw the attention of both those in power and patients to this.

On World Family Physician's Day, I would like to wish my colleagues health, because we are often in that age where health is important. I would like to wish a balance between professional work and personal life, because we are often from that generation that has not been able to maintain this balance. I wish you that we have conscious patients and conscious decision-makers to change this system, so that POZ is not a necessary evil for them. Because it is in our offices that the heart of the health care system beats. I wish you every success, much job satisfaction, and as little trouble as possible. I wish you all the best.