Professional satisfaction of family physicians in Pakistan--results of a cross-sectional postal survey.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of professional satisfaction amongst family physicians of Pakistan and to identify the factors associated with professional dissatisfaction. METHODS: The study was part of a larger national survey for "Status of PostgraduateTraining and Continuing Medical Education of Family Physicians in Pakistan" which was a cross-sectional, postal survey of family physicians conducted over 10 months between November 2009 and September 2010. The main outcome variables were professional satisfaction, as well as reasons for professional satisfaction and dissatisfaction. SPSS 17 was used for data analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with professional dissatisfaction. RESULTS: Of the total 1200 survey forms distributed, 288 (24%) were received back. The mean age of the participants was 37 +/- 9 years with a range between 26 and 72 years. Of the total, 226 (78.5%) were males. Overall, 213 (74%) family physicians were satisfied with their profession. The factors significantly associated with professional dissatisfaction included the participants opinion that they were not respected by the public (OR: 11.6, C.I: 1.9-71.5); as well as regretting being a doctor (OR:62.9, C.I: 8.4-469.8). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the family physicians had professional satisfaction, but a minority had regrets about being a doctor and were dissatisfied over how their profession affected their family life. Further research may be needed to study work-life balance amongst family physicians of Pakistan.

Disease pattern in earthquake affected areas of Pakistan: data from Kaghan valley.

BACKGROUND: In 2005 northern parts of Pakistan were hit by an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 on rector scale. Fatima Memorial Hospital established a Primary Health care centre in village of Jared in Kaghan valley. The objective of the study was to find the pattern of different diseases presetting to health centre. METHODS: All cases between August 2006 and December 2008 were included from the daily outpatient record of the centre. Data was analyses using SPSS-17. Frequency of different diseases and groups of diseases in different age groups, sexes and time of the year were the main outcome variables. RESULTS: Total number of patients was 22,122 with a mean age of 26 +/- 16 years. The number of female patients was 12,634 (57.1%) and males were 9,488 (42.9%). The single most common condition in the study period was viral upper respiratory tract infection (5,042, 23%), followed by Scabies (3,757, 17%), Acid Peptic Disease (3,157, 14.3%), Urinary Tract infection (1,197, 5.4%) and Hypertension (n = 933, 4.2%). There was a high number of young patients with urinary tract infection and hypertension. CONCLUSION: Communicable diseases like viral respiratory tract infection and scabies were the most common infections. Acid peptic disease was the most common non-communicable medical problem. Except eye conditions, all diseases were more common in summer and rainy season.