<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Singapore has it right with family clinics
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->THE report, 'More in US turn to retail clinics instead of docs' (Oct 7), is apt and encouraging. The concept of retail clinics is akin to private family physician clinics in Singapore. The quality of care is high as many are run by medical doctors - some even with training in family medicine.
These clinics run blood tests and dispense medicine, saving the public the inconvenience of buying medicine elsewhere. The profit from the sale of medicine helps to control and contain the ever-increasing practice cost, which is the bane of the United States health-care system.
In the US, one usually seeks consultation with the respective specialists directly. In Singapore, we are blessed with a system in which family physicians are the primary care providers as well as the coordinators for complex care.
They charge a lower fee, are easily available in the heartland, and after office hours, and usually have excellent doctor-patient relationships. Patients can just walk in at their convenience without making an appointment.
However, family physicians also know their limits and refer patients to their specialist colleagues for more intensive and expert management when needed. Thus patients avoid going to a specialist of the wrong discipline and this prevents unnecessary delays in treatment.
The average bill size at a clinic run by a family physician is $40 to $80, including medicine, while that of a general practitioner is usually $30 to $50. Both are way below those quoted in the studies, that is US$110 (S$154) in the US.
For the less well-off here, the Government has provided polyclinics and public hospitals whose services are of reasonably good quality; with government subsidies, the price cannot be matched anywhere else.
While medical insurance is essential for all, not all will be covered by insurance companies. There are many reasons for this. One is selection. Usually the schemes cover those who do not need insurance and exclude those who need it but cannot afford the high premiums. This is a lesson we must learn from the American experience.
Our system offers a plethora of medical services for us to choose from, according to our means, our needs and our desires.
Dr Leong Choon Kit
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->THE report, 'More in US turn to retail clinics instead of docs' (Oct 7), is apt and encouraging. The concept of retail clinics is akin to private family physician clinics in Singapore. The quality of care is high as many are run by medical doctors - some even with training in family medicine.
These clinics run blood tests and dispense medicine, saving the public the inconvenience of buying medicine elsewhere. The profit from the sale of medicine helps to control and contain the ever-increasing practice cost, which is the bane of the United States health-care system.
In the US, one usually seeks consultation with the respective specialists directly. In Singapore, we are blessed with a system in which family physicians are the primary care providers as well as the coordinators for complex care.
They charge a lower fee, are easily available in the heartland, and after office hours, and usually have excellent doctor-patient relationships. Patients can just walk in at their convenience without making an appointment.
However, family physicians also know their limits and refer patients to their specialist colleagues for more intensive and expert management when needed. Thus patients avoid going to a specialist of the wrong discipline and this prevents unnecessary delays in treatment.
The average bill size at a clinic run by a family physician is $40 to $80, including medicine, while that of a general practitioner is usually $30 to $50. Both are way below those quoted in the studies, that is US$110 (S$154) in the US.
For the less well-off here, the Government has provided polyclinics and public hospitals whose services are of reasonably good quality; with government subsidies, the price cannot be matched anywhere else.
While medical insurance is essential for all, not all will be covered by insurance companies. There are many reasons for this. One is selection. Usually the schemes cover those who do not need insurance and exclude those who need it but cannot afford the high premiums. This is a lesson we must learn from the American experience.
Our system offers a plethora of medical services for us to choose from, according to our means, our needs and our desires.
Dr Leong Choon Kit
