A suggested job description for the general practitioner in Iraq

Abstract EN

Objectives : To develop a job description for the General Practitioners (GPs) in Iraq through evaluating activities required, health priorities, training and community customs and traditions.

Setting: Al-Hadbaa Primary Health Care Centre and Mosul Medical College.

Methods : Information was gathered from different sources including observing and interviewing GPs for evaluating their duties and responsibilities, analysis of morbidity and mortality statistics to find health problems priority, studying community traditions and customs and by assessing the training in general practice among medical school curriculum.

Following that, the roles were outlined and analysed into responsibilities then to inter dependent function, in order to obtain task, and subtasks components of each function.

Results : The study utilized the S main roles of GP as being manager, health team leader, health communicator, decision maker and health care provider.

Each role was then divided into 2 responsibilities making (10) for GP, which were further divided into (31) specific functions.

The main functions were then integrated with the daily delivered services of GP to obtain the main activities.

A model was presented to subdivisions of those activities into tasks and subtasks.

Conclusion: A suggested job description was presented for GP in Iraq.

Its application is thought to be essential to optimize the work of GPs and to enhance the primary health care concept in Iraq.