“After many years of experience, I can say with certainty: it is the number of patients assisted, the quality of the service and its availability throughout the day, which confirm that the so-called group medicine not only works, but also increases the number and quality of services provided “.
This is the opinion of Giorgio Cagnazzo, a retired general practitioner, now general manager of the Medingranda Cooperative, which manages the Medicinsieme medical practice in Fossano.
In this Group Medicine there are currently 16 doctors who share their patients’ files and who with the collaboration of two secretaries and four nurses provide basic health services, guaranteeing continuity of care throughout the day even for patients. who have an urgent need for a health service outside the office hours of their doctor.
Over the years, through a supplementary contract with the ASL Cn1, born thanks to the foresight of the doctors of the group and the heads of the ASL Cn1, the services have grown with the provision of medical assistance within twelve hours and expansion of the nursing offer. In the Medicinsieme infirmary in 2019 there were about 16 thousand passages for dressings, injection therapies, minor surgery and health and nursing services that avoided numerous accesses to the emergency room. The supplementary contract was active from 2006 to 2019 and then was no longer renewed by the ASL Cn1.
“Sharing is fundamental – underlines Dr. Cagnazzo with conviction -, also for a comparison between colleagues, to dispel doubts or find alternative solutions. Think of the Covid pandemic and the importance of exchanging opinions and results to discuss critical issues. Without forgetting that in the diagnosis and treatment of Coronavirus, as for other pathologies, timing is fundamental and with a time coverage such as that of group medicine, the response can be broadened by continuing to keep an eye on chronic pathologies “.
For Dr. Cagnazzo, therefore, there are no doubts: the future of a quality basic medicine, incisive and above all capable of avoiding hospitalizations through home care, passes from group medicine and also on the possibility of doctors to remain free professionals affiliated with the National Health Service and with the local ASL of reference, “Because – as Dr. Giorgio Cagnazzo says – only in this way is it possible to maintain freedom and independence, respect in the relationship with one’s clients and flexibility in work to adapt to the changes in progress”.
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