General practice in Greece: a student's and supervisor's perspective.
OBJECTIVE
The present study reports the observations of an Australian medical student, his reflections on these observations and commentary from the Greek supervisor.


METHODS
One urban General Practice at the University Hospital in Heraklion, Crete and three community health centres in rural Crete.


METHODS
Points of comparison were formed during the patient's consultations and clinical investigations.


RESULTS
Although the level of knowledge and GP's competence in Crete and New South Wales appear to be similar and there is an impression that the patient satisfaction in Greece is comparable to that in Australia, a striking feature in Greek primary care is the communication between practitioner and patient, as well as the poor level of note keeping. In contrast, Primary Care in Greece seems to be far more involved in research.


CONCLUSIONS
To attain a higher quality in primary care, leading to a better outcome for the people of Greece, the primary care physicians need more effective vocational training and the appropriate support from health authorities.
Liangas
Georgios
G
Western Sydney Area Health Service, New South Wales, Australia.
Lionis
Christos
C
D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006115:Greece; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012106:Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D013337:Students, Medical