From mid-May the Ligurian health system will activate clinics dedicated to low complexity in the districts or in community homes open every day from 8 to 24, at least one in each health district, it will strengthen the relationship between family doctor and specialist with an interaction in time real, will begin to provide first-level diagnostic services in general practitioners’ offices and will activate low-complexity pathways to reduce waiting times in emergency rooms. This is provided for in the supplementary agreement signed by the Liguria Region with the associations of general practitioners Fimmg and Smi.
“The key element of the process is the most efficient and effective care of the patient. – explains the regional health councilor Angelo Gratarola – With the agreement, the family doctor will be able, if necessary, to avail himself of the collaboration of a specialist operating in the local health authority of reference, through teleconsultation formulas and the tools that are made available by the Region with specific platforms”.
“The strengthening of the office staff, with the figures of secretaries and nurses, together with the possibility of carrying out first level diagnostics in the office, such as ECG and spirometry, and the activation of teleconsultation with the specialist will allow the doctors’ capabilities to be strengthened family to respond to the clinical needs of their patients”, highlights the Genoese secretary of Fimmg Andrea Carraro. “A rationalization of the relationship between local doctors and specialist and hospital doctors, with the opening to teleconsultation and tele-visit”, comments the Ligurian secretary of the Smi Daniele Gasparotti.
“Even in the emergency room – explains the general director of Alisa Filippo Ansaldi – paths dedicated to low complexity have been activated which improve the efficiency of the system”. The trend in healthcare demand in Liguria and Italy is strongly increasing: in 2024, accesses to emergency rooms in Liguria increased by 5% compared to 2023 .
“Despite this, the warning signals on the system’s waiting times are decreasing”, Ansaldi remarks, recalling the “capillarity of the service, according to Agenas, 1.27% of the Ligurian population cannot access an emergency room within 30 minutes of to the national average of 2.58%”.
