Specialists are doctors who have in-depth knowledge, expertise and skills in a particular field of medicine. Specialists and general practitioners have different duties and roles. Specialist doctors have a role in dealing with diseases that are more specific in accordance with their expertise. The duties and roles of specialist doctors are very important because they have a role in providing secondary health services after practicing general practitioners. However, currently the number of specialist doctors is still a little limited and relatively few and also their distribution is still uneven in Indonesia.
Specialist doctors are not only tasked with providing secondary health services, but specialist doctors are also required to share their experience, knowledge, and expertise with the next generation of doctors, namely medical students, general practitioners, or other specialist doctors who have less knowledge and expertise. . This is done because to get additional knowledge and expertise in dealing with health problems experienced by patients. A medical specialist also has a role in providing health doctrine to the community through health advocacy programs with the aim of instilling mindsets or habits that can improve public health. Before becoming a specialist, it is better for a doctor to have a noble motivation, namely to serve the community which is based on high integrity, honesty and humanity.
The importance of the role of specialist doctors themselves seems to be a homework for Indonesia itself. This is due to the limited number of specialist doctors and it is not balanced with the increasing population of Indonesia. Based on data taken from the world bank in 2009, it is known that the ratio of specialist doctors per 100,000 population was 3.21 in 1996 and 5.18 in 2007. several general hospitals, regional general hospitals, and health centers experienced a shortage of specialists. This happened not because the number was relatively small, but because the process of distributing or leveling specialist doctors in Indonesia was still not good. In fact, the role and duties of specialist doctors in health care settings are important. The following are some of the roles that a specialist doctor has, namely:
1. Specialist doctors play a role in providing secondary health services
Based on the hierarchy, specialist doctors play a role in providing secondary health services for the community. The meaning is, a specialist doctor has to serve patients - referred patients from general practitioners who are considered unable to be handled by general practitioners because of the limited ability of general practitioners to treat a particular disease experienced by the patient.
2. As a medical expert
A specialist doctor is a medical expert or health expert, meaning that a specialist doctor has knowledge, skills and expertise in a particular field of medical science that is much higher than general practitioners or specialist doctors in other fields.
3. As a communicator
Aside from being a health professional, specialist doctors also act as communicators. This means that a specialist doctor has a role in communicating with patients, patient families, paramedics, and also general practitioners or other specialist doctors.
4. As a collaborator
A specialist doctor's role is to collaborate with other specialist doctors and also paramedics to form a good team in treating patients.
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