Cervical cancer screening program in Indonesia: is it time for HPV-DNA tests? Results of a qualitative study exploring the stakeholders' perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: Cervical cancer is a significant public health concern in Indonesia, and effective screening methods are necessary to improve the detection and reduce mortality. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of high-level stakeholders involved in cervical cancer screening in Indonesia and whether the use of human papillomavirus-deoxyribonucleic acid (HPV-DNA) methods for cervical cancer screening is acceptable in Indonesian settings. METHODS: A qualitative research approach guided by realist evaluation was applied using focus group discussions (FGDs) between December 2021 and February 2022, conducted with stakeholders involved in cervical cancer screening in Indonesia. They were representatives of practitioners and policymakers involved in the screening, and were recruited through purposive recruitment. The data were analysed using inductive approach of thematic analysis. RESULTS: The analysis of two FGDs with 29 participants identified four main themes: (i) Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) method as the most common modality used for cervical cancer screening, (ii) the applied screening programs in the community, (iii) the perceived challenges on the screening program, such as limitations of the National Health Insurance benefits package and a lack of regulations regarding screening procedures, and (iv) the possibilities of HPV-DNA testing as another modality for cervical cancer screening. Incorporating HPV-DNA testing also needs to ensure the capacity of the workers and the readiness of healthcare facilities. CONCLUSION: Although HPV-DNA testing is a promising modality, challenges on the cervical cancer screening in Indonesia remain on the coverage, accessibility of the tools in practice and the women's awareness towards the screening. Ultimately, the findings of this study would help inform policies to improve cervical cancer screening programs in Indonesia.

Rural Indonesian adolescents' smoking behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic: rapid survey and cotinine test of school-attend adolescents in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta.

The COVID-19 pandemic is predicted to affect adolescent smoking behaviours. We aim to map profiles of adolescents' smoking behaviours in a rural district in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic and validate their smoking exposures using cotinine tests. This study applied an online survey followed by cotinine tests for high-school students in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. The participants were asked to complete the survey and participate in a cotinine test. Univariate and multivariate regressions were performed to seek potential determinants of the smoking status and diagnostic accuracy of the cotinine test. A total of 281 participants completed the survey, with 19.6% (n = 55) and 22.8% (n = 64) being ever-smokers and current smokers. The impacts of the pandemics on their smoking behaviours were found in the urgency and numbers of daily smoked cigarettes. Univariate regression analysis revealed age, gender, learning mode, and whether father/friend smokes correlate with the adolescents' smoking behaviours. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the odds of planning to stop smoking were 0.01 (95% CI 0.001-0.22, p-value 0.003) for having positive attitudes towards cigarettes compared to none. Of the 65 cotinine tests, 19 tested positive, with the sensitivity and specificity of the cotinine test at 94.7% and 95.6%. The prevalence of adolescent smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic in Gunung Kidul is high, with the impacts of the pandemic on the urgency and number of cigarette smoke. There are opportunities to help them stop smoking by providing reliable quit-tobacco access and advocacy in collaboration with schools, parents, and health providers.

Physical activity virtual intervention for improving mental health among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Co-creation process and evaluation using the Behavior Change Wheel.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were reductions in university students' physical activity, which further increased their mental distress, calling for technology-based physical activity interventions to address the challenges in delivering in-person interventions. This study aimed to develop a technology-based physical activity intervention and pilot test it. Methods: We developed a virtually-delivered team-based physical activity challenge using the Behavior Change Wheel and Co-creation Framework based on Self-determination Theory. A pilot study was conducted in the evaluation phase to measure the recruitment rate, dropout rate, change in physical activity, and mental distress while identifying problems and collecting participants' opinions regarding the challenge. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to assess the change in physical activity and mental distress. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: A three-week physical activity challenge comprising five identified intervention functions was held with 480 participants. The recruitment rate was 84.8% resulting from 407 virtual challenge participants who were conveniently joined as research participants. The dropout rate for the pilot study was 10.96% resulting from the incompatibility problems with the application. Among sample participants who lacked physical activity, participation in this challenge improved their physical activity by 52.5 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per week and reduced their mental distress by three points of self-reporting questionnaire-20 score. Issues regarding the virtual application and the influence of participation in the challenge on basic psychological needs emerged. Participants' opinions identified lack of time as the main barrier to physical activity. Conclusion: A co-created physical activity intervention developed using the Behavioral Change Wheel Framework inspired high interest from university students and may increase their physical activity and improve their mental health. Several suggestions were discussed to address the identified problems and improve the internal and external validity of the evaluation phase. Trial registration: TCTR20220720004 (retrospectively registered on July 19, 2022).

Tobacco Use among School-Age Adolescents in Indonesia: Findings from the 2015 Indonesia Global School-Based Student Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: Although Indonesia has a considerable proportion of adolescent smokers, nationally representative studies of its determinants remain limited. The 2015 Indonesian Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was conducted with school-age adolescents and provided information about smoking behavior. This study aimed to examine the prevalence, determinants, and correlates of tobacco use among adolescents in Indonesia using the GSHS survey. METHODS: A secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2015 Indonesian GSHS. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the determinants and correlates of tobacco use. RESULTS: Our analysis showed that 9.1% of school-age adolescents had used tobacco products in the past 30 days. Most were 13-15 years (61.7%) and had attempted to stop smoking (92.4%). After adjusting for covariates, significant risk factors associated with tobacco smoking were older age groups (prevalence odds ratio [POR], 3.01-9.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71-23.1), male (POR, 13.7; 95% CI, 8.71-21.5), psychological distress (POR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.05-1.90), smoking exposure (POR, 1.98-2.15; 95% CI, 1.35-3.42), and when both parents smoked (POR, 2.96; 95% CI, 1.78-4.94). In addition, tobacco use was associated with other risky behaviors, including sex with multiple partners, using drugs, drinking alcohol, and being involved in physical fights. CONCLUSION: Tobacco use is high among Indonesian adolescents. This prevalence highlights the need for a more stringent tobacco control policy and tailored cessation programs for adolescents by considering important modifiable determinants of tobacco use among adolescents, including risky smoking-related behaviors.

Adopting international recommendations to design a model for maternal health service to cope with pandemic disruption for Indonesian primary care.

BACKGROUND: Limited evidence is available as the reference for the model of care on providing maternity care in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) to cope with pandemic disruption. This study aimed to adopt international recommendations to develop the model of care with the context of Indonesian settings. METHODS: Four codesign workshops and substitute interviews with stakeholders, covering the (i) exploration of service provision during the pandemic, (ii) adoption of international recommendations, (iii) designing and (iv) finalising model of care for maternal health services in primary care under the COVID-19 pandemic. The study took place in Yogyakarta Province Indonesia from July-November 2021. The participants were general practitioners, midwives, nurses, patients, and obstetricians. The data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Twenty-three participants were recruited. As many as 23, 16, 14 and 16 participants participated in the first to fourth codesign workshops or substitute interviews. Key recommendations agreed upon in the workshop were health screening, maintaining antenatal-postnatal breastfeeding care, limiting visitors, using telemedicine, and creating a multidisciplinary team to provide the care. A model of care for improving maternal service was also agreed and received suggestions from the participants. Identified barriers to the recommendation implementation, such as the available clinical resources and negotiating providers' authority in practice. CONCLUSION: Recommendations and the model of care for improving maternity care in Indonesia are beneficial to be implemented in Indonesian primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research includes pilot studies to explore the acceptability of the model and recommendation implementation in practice.

Much evidence on maternal care is available, however, little is known about their potential adoption for improving maternal health services in Indonesian primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports the adoption of international recommendations to develop a model for improving maternal health services in primary care to cope with disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including potential barriers of recommendation uptake in practice. Further research is desired to pilot the recommendation in practice.

Recommendations for improving maternal health services in Indonesian primary care under the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of a systematic review and appraisal of international guidelines.

BACKGROUND: A large volume of evidence and reviews about COVID-19 recommendations have been published; however, only a few provide recommendations on maternal health services ready for their adoption in Indonesia. This review aims to identify a set of potential recommendations for improving maternal care in the Indonesian primary care setting under the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A literature search to identify articles that cover a set of recommendations, or maternal guideline under the SARS-COV-1 outbreak or COVID-19 pandemic that were published from 2020 to 1 November 2022 was applied in six academic databases. The search used various keywords and phrases of 'maternal', 'model' and 'coronavirus', and excluded reviews and those evaluating interventions or medicine prescription. The eligible guidelines were appraised using AGREE II instrument, coded, and thematically analysed for their potential adoption to Indonesian settings. FINDINGS: Fourteen guidelines were fully reviewed, and most of them had high AGREE II scores. Two main themes emerged from the analysis: clinical and supporting arrangements for maternal health services. Potential challenges for the implementation of these recommendations in Indonesia were also discussed. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: Potential recommendations for improving maternal health for women in Indonesia under the COVID-19 pandemic both on the clinical and supporting services arrangements have been identified. Available clinical resources, different context of providers' practice authority and patients' literacy may challenge their implementation in practice. Further research is needed to seek consensus on the recommendation adoption in practice and to desirably redesign maternal health service in Indonesia.

Challenging the status quo: results of an acceptability and feasibility study of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) management pathways in Indonesian primary care.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are the leading cause of maternal mortality in Indonesia. Focused HDP management pathways for Indonesian primary care practice have been developed from a consensus development process. However, the acceptability and feasibility of the pathways in practice have not been explored. This study reports on the implementation process of the pathways to determine their acceptability and feasibility in Indonesian practice. METHODS: The pathways were implemented in three public primary care clinics (Puskesmas) in Yogyakarta province for a month, guided by implementation science frameworks of Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM). The participating providers (general practitioners (GPs), midwives, and nurses) were asked to use recommendations in the pathways for a month. The pathway implementation evaluations were then conducted using clinical audits and a triangulation of observations, focus groups (FGs), and interviews with all of the participants. Clinical audit data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed using a mix of the inductive-deductive approach of thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 50 primary care providers, four obstetricians, a maternal division officer in the local health office and 61 patients agreed to participate, and 48 of the recruited participants participated in evaluation FGs or interviews. All of the providers in the Puskesmas attempted to apply recommendations from the pathways to various degrees, mainly adopting preeclampsia risk factor screenings and HDP monitoring. The participants expressed that the recommendations empowered their practice when it came to HDP management. However, their practices were challenged by professional boundaries and hierarchical barriers among health care professionals, limited clinical resources, and regulations from the local health office. Suggestions for future scale-up studies were also mentioned, such as involving champion obstetricians and providing more patient education toolkits. CONCLUSION: The HDP management pathways are acceptable and feasible in Indonesian primary care. A further scale-up study is desired and can be initiated with investigations to minimise the implementation challenges and enhance the pathways' value in primary care practice.

Empowering adolescents as peer-educators for early prevention of non-communicable diseases: Through existing 'POSBINDU' program in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Human lifestyles, including sedentary activities, obesity, and smoking, are associated with a high risk of non-communicable diseases that are a leading cause of death globally. Accordingly, health promotion should be done as early as possible in the adolescent period. AIMS: This study explores the efficacy of a peer-educator program in promoting the healthy habits of adolescents, via an existing Indonesian community initiative program called 'POSBINDU' (Integrated Counseling Post), led by the general practitioners. METHODS: Twenty-week 'experiential learning' approach with mixed-method was designed to: 1) Train 10 GP trainers, 2) Recruit and observe the 10 group-1 and 50 group-2 peer-educators in a high school; 3) Develop modules on health lifestyles by the GPS and peer-educators, and 4) Implement the POSBINDU program at the high school. RESULTS: Both GPs and students' perceptions significantly increased before to after the intervention (p > 0.05). The participants also expressed they experienced increased comprehension of NCDs and the importance of healthy habits. CONCLUSIONS: The existing POSBINDU community's initiative program can potentially be improved by appropriate interventions to empower school students towards better healthy habits to prevent the early progression of NCDs.

Indonesian General Practitioners' Experience of Practicing in Primary Care under the Implementation of Universal Health Coverage Scheme (JKN).

INTRODUCTION: The Indonesian government has been implementing Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) as the national universal coverage scheme to help Indonesian citizens affording medical care since 2014. However, after a few years of its implementation, a very limited study has been conducted to explore general practitioners' (GPs) views and experiences of practicing in primary care under JKN implementation. METHODS: The study applied semi-structured interviews with GPs from January to February 2016, guided by a phenomenology approach in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia. The GPs were recruited using a maximum variation sample design. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the data were analyzed thematically. RESULT: A total of 19 GPs were interviewed. Three major themes emerged, namely: powerlessness, clinical resources, and administration. Transition to the JKN system has improved patient access to primary care without significant economic barrier, however, GP participants experienced a sense of powerless practice during JKN implementation. They also commented on limited clinical resources and claimed that JKN administration was complicated and burdened their practice. CONCLUSION: This study identifies various perspectives from GPs practicing in primary care under JKN implementation. The JKN improves access to primary care practice, but there are limited supports for GPs to practice optimally and maintain their relationships with patients. Extensive improvements are needed to upgrade the GP practice in primary care.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) management pathways: results of a Delphi survey to contextualise international recommendations for Indonesian primary care settings.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a significant contributor to the high maternal mortality rate in Indonesia. At the moment, limited guidelines are available to assist primary care providers in managing HDP cases. A previous review of 16 international HDP guidelines has identified opportunities for improving HDP management in Indonesian primary care, but it has not determined the suitability of the recommendations in practice. This study aims to achieve consensus among the experts regarding the recommendations suitability and to develop HDP pathways in Indonesian primary care. METHODS: Maternal health experts, including GPs, midwives, nurses, medical specialists and health policy researchers from Indonesia and overseas were recruited for the study. They participated in a consensus development process that applied a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions in three Delphi survey rounds. At the first and second-round survey, the participants were asked to rate their agreement on whether each of 125 statements about HDP and HDP management is appropriate for use in Indonesian primary care settings. The third-round survey presented the drafts of HDP pathways and sought participants' agreement and further suggestions. The participants' agreement scores were calculated with a statement needing a minimum of 70% agreement to be included in the HDP pathways. The participants' responses and suggestions to the free text questions were analysed thematically. RESULTS: A total of 52 participants were included, with 48, 45 and 37 of them completing the first, second and third round of the survey respectively. Consensus was reached for 115 of the 125 statements on HDP definition, screening, management and long-term follow-up. Agreement scores for the statements ranged from 70.8-100.0%, and potential implementation barriers of the pathways were identified. Drafts of HDP management pathways were also agreed upon and received suggestions from the participants. CONCLUSIONS: Most evidence-based management recommendations achieved consensus and were included in the developed HDP management pathways, which can potentially be implemented in Indonesian settings. Further investigations are needed to explore the acceptability and feasibility of the developed HDP pathways in primary care practice.

The elephant in the room: an exploratory study of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) management in Indonesian primary care settings.

BACKGROUND: Indonesia has the highest maternal mortality rate in South East Asia, that a third of the mortality is caused by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including preeclampsia and eclampsia. Research suggests that maternal deaths from HDP are avoidable with appropriate initial management in primary care. However, little is known regarding the exact way HDP management is conducted in Indonesian primary care. This research aims to explore the way HDP management is provided, including its barriers and facilitators in Indonesian primary care settings. METHODS: This research applied a practical qualitative methodology using interviews with a topic guide. It is guided by the implementation science framework of the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework and Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) to design and evaluate complex healthcare interventions. Primary care key stakeholders from Yogyakarta province were recruited from May-December 2018. The interviews were conducted in face-to-face, telephone, and teleconference interviews. Data from the interviews were analysed thematically using a mix of inductive and deductive approaches. RESULTS: A total of 24 participants were interviewed, consisting of four general practitioners, five midwives, three nurses, three obstetricians, a cardiologist, five policymakers and three women with a previous history of HDP. Referrals are the usual management performed for HDP women in primary care and the primary care providers' practice is challenged by three identified themes: (i) providers' limited confidence to perform HDP management, (ii) fragmented continuity of care, and (iii) community beliefs. Many participants also desired to have more focused guidance to improve HDP management in primary care practice. CONCLUSION: Even though Indonesian antenatal care and referrals are generally accessible, there are many challenges and fragmentation of HDP management. The most prominent challenge is the primary care providers' lack of confidence in performing the management and the 'elephant' of an urgent need of practice guidelines in primary care that has never been appropriately described in the literature. Further development of an evidence-based primary care-focused guidance will potentially improve primary care providers' skills to perform optimal HDP management and provide appropriate education to their patients.

Opportunities for improving hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) management in primary care settings: A review of international published guidelines in the context of pregnancy care in Indonesia.

Almost all of global maternal mortality caused by HDP occurs in low to middle-income countries (LMIC). However, limited guidance is available to local primary care practitioners who are usually the main health care providers. This review examined existing international practice guidelines to identify potential practices to improve HDP management in Indonesian primary care settings. We performed structured literature search strategies and snowballing searches in six databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane reviews and Google Scholar) for guidelines that were published between 2007 and 2018 using relevant keywords and phrases of 'guidelines', 'hypertensive disorders of pregnancy' or 'preeclampsia' and 'primary care'. The AGREE II instrument was used to assess quality and reporting of the eligible guidelines. Thematic analysis was performed on all of the guidelines and the results were discussed among the project investigators. Sixteen international practice guidelines or similar management recommendations were reviewed. Almost all of them were partially applicable, with some managements potentially able to be adopted to Indonesian primary care settings. Three main themes for improving HDP management were identified, namely clinical management, care planning, and professional communication. These potential improvements in managing women with HDP in Indonesia may also be relevant in other LMIC. Further contextualisation is required to facilitate their adoption in practice settings.

Developing management pathways for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Indonesian primary care: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: National and international guidelines for the management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are available in developing countries. However, more detailed clinical pathways for primary care settings are limited. This study focuses on Indonesia, where 72% of women who died from HDP and its complications had received less appropriate treatment according to international guidelines. There is an urgent need to develop primary care focused pathways that enable general practitioners (GPs), midwives and other relevant providers to manage HDP better. OBJECTIVES: This paper describes a study protocol for the development of HDP management pathways for Indonesian primary care settings. METHODS: This study design is informed by Implementation Science theories and consists of three phases. The exploratory phase will involve conducting semi-structured interviews with key Indonesian primary care stakeholders to explore their experiences and views on HDP management. The development phase will apply evidence from the literature review and results of the exploratory phase to develop HDP management pathways contextualised to Indonesian primary care settings. Consensus will be sought from approximately 50 experts, consist of general practitioners (GPs), midwives, obstetricians, nurses and policy makers using Delphi technique survey. The evaluation phase will involve a pilot study to evaluate the pathways' acceptability and feasibility in a sample of Indonesian primary care practices using mixed methods. DISCUSSION: The implementation science frameworks inform and guide the phases in this study. Qualitative interviews in the exploratory phase are conducive to eliciting opinions from key stakeholders. Using Delphi technique at the development phase is suitable to seek participants' consensus on HDP management in primary care. Observations, focus group discussions, interviews as well as analysis of patients' medical records at the evaluation phase are expected to provide a comprehensive investigation of the implementation of the pathways in practice settings.

The Indonesian general practitioners' perspectives on formal postgraduate training in primary care.

BACKGROUND: To be recognized as a primary care physician (PCP), an Indonesian general practitioner (GP) has to follow a formal postgraduate training in primary care. However, 4 years since the regulation was published, the progress of the training is slow. There is a need to deeply investigate the doctors' perspectives, particularly to explore factors associated with their willingness to follow this training. AIM: This study aims to explore the GPs' views and perspectives related to the formal postgraduate training in primary care that may influence their enrolment in PCP program. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with a topic guide. The study took place in Yogyakarta from January to December 2016. The participants were GPs practicing in Yogyakarta primary care clinics who were recruited using purposive-maximum variation sample design. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. RESULTS: Nineteen GPs participants were involved in this study. Three major themes were identified, namely unfamiliarity, resistance, and positivism. Almost all the GP participants were unfamiliar with the primary care training program. They were also pessimistic if the training could change the health service in the country while it lacked resources and infrastructures. However, exposure to the training brought positive insights that it could improve the doctors' knowledge and skills in primary care practice. DISCUSSION: The government intention to establish PCP training is currently on the right tract. However, information dissemination and more supports in primary care are also essential.

Preparatory graduate professional training in general practice by using the 'experiential learning' framework.

BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) in Indonesia are medical doctors without formal graduate professional training. Only recently, graduate general practice (GP) is being introduced to Indonesia. Therefore, it is important to provide a framework to prepare a residency training in general practice part of which is to equip GP graduate doctors to deliver person-centered, comprehensive care in general practice. Experiential learning theory is often used to design workplace-based learning in medical education. The aim of this study was to evaluate a graduate professional training program in general practice based on the 'experiential learning' framework. METHODS: This was a pre-posttest study. The participants were 159 GPs who have been practicing for a minimum of 5 years, without formal graduate professional training, from two urban cities of Indonesia (Yogyakarta and Jakarta). A 40-week curriculum called the 'weekly clinical updates on primary care medicine' (WCU) was designed, where GPs met with clinical consultants weekly in a class. The participant's knowledge was assessed with pre-posttests involving 100 written clinical cases in line with each topic in the curriculum. Learning continued with a series of group discussions to gain reflection to reinforce learning. RESULTS: Participants' knowledge regarding clinical problems in general practice was moderately increased (p < 0.05) after the training from a mean score of 50.64-72.77 (Yogyakarta's doctors) and 39.37-51.81 (Jakarta's doctors). Participants were able to reflect on the principles of general practice patient-care. Participants reported satisfaction during the course, and expressed a desire for a formal residency training. CONCLUSIONS: A graduate educational framework for GP based on the 'experiential learning' framework in this study could be used to prepare a graduate GP training; it is effective at increasing the comprehension of general practitioners towards better primary care practice.

Patients' experience of using primary care services in the context of Indonesian universal health coverage reforms.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation on universal coverage has been implemented in Indonesia as Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN). It was designed to provide people with equitable and high-quality health care by strengthening primary care as the gate-keeper to hospitals. However, during its first year of implementation, recruitment of JKN members was slow, and the referral rates from primary to secondary care remained high. Little is known about how the public views the introduction of JKN or the factors that influence their decision to enroll in JKN. AIM: This research aimed to explore patients' views on the implementation of JKN and factors that influence a person's decision to enroll in the JKN scheme. METHODS: This study was informed by interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology to understand patients' views. The interview participants were purposively recruited using maximum variation criteria. The data were gathered using in-depth interviews and was conducted in Yogyakarta from October to December 2014. The interviews were transcribed, translated and analyzed using IPA analysis. RESULT: Twenty three participants were interviewed from eight primary care clinics. Three superordinate themes: access, trust, and separation anxiety were identified which impacted on the uptake of JKN. Participants acknowledged that whilst primary care clinics were conveniently located, access was often complicated by long waiting times and short opening hours. Participants also expressed lower levels of trust with primary care doctors compared to hospital and specialist care. They also reported a sense of anxiety that the current JKN regulation might limit their ability to access the hospital service guaranteed in the past. DISCUSSION: This study identified patients' views that could challenge the implementation of the gate-keeper role of primary care in Indonesia. While the patients valued the availability of medical care close to home, their lack of trust in primary care doctors and fear that they might lost the hospital care in the future appears to have impacted on the uptake of JKN. Unless targeted efforts are made to address these views through sustained public education and further capacity building in primary care, it is unlikely that the full potential of the JKN scheme in primary care will be realized.

Physician's self-perceived abilities at primary care settings in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Southeast Asian countries with better-skilled primary care physicians have been shown to have better health outcomes. However, in Indonesia, there has been a large number of inappropriate referrals, leading to suboptimal health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the reasons underlying the unnecessary referrals as related to Indonesian physicians' standard of abilities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a multiple-case study that explored physicians' self-evaluation of their abilities. Self-evaluation questionnaires were constructed from the Indonesian Standards of Physicians Competences of 2006-2012 (ISPC), which is a list of 155 diseases. This study was undertaken in three cities, three towns, and one "border-less developed" area during 2011-2014. The study involved 184 physicians in those seven districts. Data were collected using one-on-one, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and clinical observations. RESULTS: This study found that primary care physicians in Indonesia felt that they were competent to handle less than one-third of "typical" primary care cases. The reasons were limited understanding of person-centered care principles and limited patient care services to diagnosis and treatment of common biomedical problems. Additionally, physical facilities in primary care settings are lacking. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening primary health care in Indonesia requires upscaling doctors' abilities in managing health problems through more structured graduate education in family medicine, which emphasizes the bio-psycho-socio-cultural background of persons; secondly, standardizing primary care facilities to support physicians' performance is critical. Finally, a strong national health policy that recognizes the essential role of primary care physicians in health outcomes is an urgent need.