BARRIERS FACED BY FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENTS IN PERFORMING MINOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES IN THEIR CLINICS IN TABUK, KSA

Objectives: This study assessed the barriers faced by FMresidents in performing minor surgical procedures in their clinics in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Methodology:This observational cross-sectional study was conducted among family medicine (FM) physicians in Tabuk in June 2023. An adapted questionnaire wasdistributed online to determine the barriers family physicians may face in performing minor surgeries in their clinics.

Results:A total of 35 FM physicians were included, 14 (40%) aged 25-28 years. Most of them were males (71.4%). Nearly 82.8% of the family physicians who liked performing procedures did not find it complicated, and 82.3% of those who did not like performing procedures found it complicated this association was statistically significant (P=0.001). Nearly half of the physicians (52.6%) who found it easier to refer cases with indications of minor procedures did not consider performing procedures complicated, and 93.8% of the physicians (52.6%) who did not find it easier to refer cases with indications of minor procedures did not consider performing procedures complicated this association was statistically significant (P=0.007).

Conclusion: One of the biggest challenges that prevented family physicians from doing minor procedures in their clinics was a lack of time. Additionally, many physician find it easier to refer patients who need minor operations to surgical departments. The complicated nature of these operations was rated by physicians in our study based on how much they enjoyed performing them. Patients were more likely to be sent to other departments by physicians who found procedures challenging. These cases were easily and frequently referred to other surgical departments by physicians who did not enjoy conducting simple procedures, who found it complicated, and who thought their fees were too low.