training

Year family medicine established: 1993 (Wun et al., 2011)

Type of Training: Residency Program (personal interview, 2018)

Length of Training: Post-Secondary Education (6 YEARS) (personal interview, 2018), 4-year residency (personal interview, 2018)

Number of institutions that offer family medicine: Only two medical schools are located in Hong Kong—the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong—and both schools incorporate family medicine into their curriculum (personal interview, 2018)

Number of family medicine residents graduating each year: Approximately 35-40 each year but can vary

practice

Number of family doctors: 12 000 family doctors listed in the registry (personal interview, 2018)

Physician to population ratio: 1 physician/519 (World Bank, 2015)

QALY: QALY has improved in China upon the entrance of Family medicine yet the role of a family physician in this country remains limited.

DALY: 15,279/100,000 individuals (due to all causes).

Life Expectancy:

Females 2017: 88.0 years

Males 2017: 82.0 years

Mortality rate 2017: 62 per 1,000 male adults.

Infant Immunization-HepB3: % of 1-year-old children recieved: 99%

College of Family Physicians (Y or N): Yes: HKCFP- Hong Kong College of Family Physicians

training

Hong Kong’s requirements for practicing family medicine include post-secondary education , with 6 years of post-secondary medical school training. Family medicine is incorporated into the school curriculum (personal interview, 2018). After, there is a 4-year residency where graduates from medical school pursuing a family medicine speciality must complete a 4-year residency program to become a licenced family physician, after assessment and successfully pass the professional exam (personal interview, 2018). The residency program consists of 2 years in hospital, and 2 years in the community. This education is provided by the hospital system.

Only two medical schools are located in Hong Kong—the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong—and both schools incorporate family medicine into their curriculum. Approximately 35-40 graduate each year from these schools, but individual years can vary. A high of 90 students in one year was achieved many years ago (personal interview, 2018).

practice

Hong Kong, similar to China has a community oriented primary care. Chinese medicine practitioners are recognized and can be combined with traditional family medicine. The provision of primary care varies according to the population that is being served. Vaccinations are given by family physicians, reaching around 98% of the population (personal interview, 2018).

In Hong Kong, family doctors are gatekeepers - a family doctor must be seen to be referred to a specialist (personal interview, 2018).