Korean J Fam Pract.  2024 Mar;14(1):40-48. 10.21215/kjfp.2024.14.1.40.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Having a Family Physician or Regular Doctor among Community-Dwelling Adults in South Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Sim Y
• Jeong SM
• Joh HK

• KMID: 2554231
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2024.14.1.40

Abstract

Background
Although the concepts of a family physician and regular doctor are interchangeably used in the general population, they differ in various aspects of healthcare services. We investigated the prevalence of having a family physician/regular doctor and its association with healthcare utilization behaviors among community-dwelling adults.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students and employees at a university from October 2018 to February 2019. Information was collected on the presence of a family physician/regular doctor, healthcare facilities most frequently visited, annual healthcare visit frequencies, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Associated factors with having a family physician/regular doctor were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic characteristics, health-related variables, and healthcare utilization behaviors.
Results
A total of 5,890 individuals were included, of which 15% had family physicians/regular doctors (students 12.6%, employees 21.3%). Factors significantly associated with having a family physician/regular doctor were older age, higher income level, and managing chronic diseases. Individuals having a family physician/regular doctor were more likely to use large/tertiary hospitals rather than primary care clinics, use healthcare services more frequently, and have higher medical expenditures.
Conclusion
The prevalence of having a regular doctor was low in community-dwelling adults, with a higher prevalence among high-income groups and a tendency to visit large/tertiary hospital specialists for a regular doctor. Our results indicate that many community-dwelling individuals lack proper awareness of the roles of family physicians in providing comprehensive and continuous healthcare, emphasizing urgent needs to enhance public awareness of the concept of family physicians based on primary care.

Keyword

Regular Doctor; Family Physicians; Primary Healthcare; Health Care Utilization; Health Expenditure