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Towards a better framing of primary care general practice: the contribution of the ‘practice assistant in primary care’ and the ‘nurse in general practice’ One of the most important observations during the COVID-19 pandemic was that general practitioners (GPs) often lack professional support, mainly within 3 domains: reception function, administrative tasks and performing simple interventions such as taking samples for COVID-19 tests. GPs are asking to be relieved of improper tasks and to be able to focus on the core tasks for which they have been trained. Since 2007, many actors advocated the training of a ‘practice assistant in primary care’. Practice assistants support the GP and other primary care providers with the fulfilment of the reception function and the performance of IT and administrative tasks. Under the supervision of the responsible primary care provider, they can assume some frequently performed, protocolized technical-supportive medical tasks. In this way, GPs can carry out individual consultations, counseling and other interventions more efficiently and focus on their core tasks. In addition, for more than 5 years there have been a number of courses in Flanders to train nurses to become professionals in a primary care practice: the ‘nurses in the GP practice’. These nurses autonomously support GPs in treating, guiding and caring for patients in primary care. This program also responds proactively to the changing healthcare landscape. The practice assistant and the nurse practitioner have complementary roles to strengthen the GPs in primary care. |
