title: A nationwide survey of public healthcare providers' impressions of family medicine specialists in Malaysia: a qualitative analysis of written comments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine impressions of public healthcare providers/professionals (PHCPs) who are working closely with family medicine specialists (FMSs) at public health clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is part of a larger national study on the perception of Malaysian public healthcare professionals on FMSs (PERMFAMS).
  
  
  METHODS
  PHCPs from three categories of health facility: hospitals, health clinics and health offices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative analyses of written comments of respondents' general impression of FMSs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants' response rate was 58.0% (780/1345), with almost equal proportions from each public healthcare facility. A total of 23 categories for each of the 648 impression comments were identified. The six emerging themes were: (1) importance of FMSs; (2) roles of FMSs; (3) clinical performance of FMSs; (4) attributes of FMSs; (5) FMS practice challenges; (6) misconception of FMS roles. Overall, FMS practice was perceived to be safe and able to provide effective treatments in a challenging medical discipline that was in line with the current standards of medical care and ethical and professional values. The areas of concern were in clinical performance expressed by PHCPs from some hospitals and the lack of personal attributes and professionalism among FMSs mentioned by PHCPs from health clinics and offices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FMSs were perceived to be capable of providing effective treatment and were considered to be important primary care physicians. There were a few negative impressions in some areas of FMS practice, which demanded attention by the FMSs themselves and the relevant authorities in order to improve efficiency and safeguard the fraternity's reputation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Boon-How
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8627-6248
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ai-Theng
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.affiliation: Health Clinic Seremban 2, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mastura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Zuhra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hamzah
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd-Radzniwan
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: A-Rashid
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Primary Care Medicine Discipline, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mazapuspavina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Md-Yasin
authors.affiliation: Health Clinic Masjid Tanah Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Norsiah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Family Health Development Division, Ministry of Health, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Noridah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mohd-Salleh
authors.affiliation: Health Clinic Putrajaya Precinct 9, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Baizury
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bashah
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D006268:Health Facilities; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000592:standards; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011634:Public Health; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: PRIMARY CARE