Assessment Unnecessary Costs in Family Physicians with Comprehensive Approach to Care (Cuts in Family Physician Program

Family medicine program with the aim of reduction in unnecessary cost, has been implemented in Iran, in rural and under 20,000 population urban areas in 1384. In this study, this targeting has been assessed by comprehensive care criterion in 17 health centers of Gorgan city in Iran.
In this research, the assessment of Rural Family Physician Program in 17 rural health centers of Gorgan city in 24 months has been carried out within an error-correction regression model in panel data framework. The results of regression estimations showed the weight/importance coefficients in comprehensive health car indicator, and then, the main/elasticity coefficients for the indicators, differentiating short-term and long-term trends on unnecessary cost indicator.
The effect of family physician on reduction in unnecessary cost, expectedly, was considerable, accounting for 6.6 percent. In contrast, the effect of nursing services in the program was too low, accounting for 0.2 percent, and the effect of lab services was much limited, accounting for 1.7 percent. Also, pharmaceutical (drug supply) services not expected.
In the family medicine program, to reduce in unnecessary cost, it is important to provide adequate pre-referral services, regarding comprehensive health care in the health centers under management of primary health care physician. But, comprehensive care in the Gorgan health centers has failed to meet expectations, since the shares and effects of nursing and laboratory services in the program were low.