Not Just a Doctor on the Family Doctor’s Team: What Do Residents Know About It?
Residents most often see their family doctor as the first healthcare professional they turn to when faced with health problems. However, the latest public opinion survey commissioned by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) shows that not all the services and opportunities offered by the family doctor’s team are well known to the public.
The team is primarily associated with a nurse
The survey conducted by “Spinter tyrimai” in July this year involved more than 1,000 residents of Lithuania aged 18 to 75. When asked which healthcare professionals work as part of their family doctor’s team, 61% of respondents named a nurse. Significantly fewer respondents mentioned other professionals: 12% named a midwife, 9% a physiotherapist and the same percentage a social worker, 8% a practice administrator, and 7% each a case manager and a lifestyle medicine specialist. As many as 28% of respondents were unable to say which professionals, apart from the family doctor, work as part of their team.
“A family doctor’s team consists of more than just a doctor and a nurse. Patients can receive assistance from specialists in various fields, so it is important for people to know what kind of help they can expect at their healthcare institution. The better patients understand the team members and their areas of expertise, the easier it is for them to make use of all the support available to them,” says Diana Prochorova, Chief Specialist at the Service Reimbursement Division of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
The family doctor’s team plays an important role not only in treating illnesses but also in maintaining the long-term health of the population. It monitors chronic conditions, assesses risk factors, implements prevention and early diagnosis programmes, provides patient consultations, helps identify nursing and rehabilitation needs, and coordinates patient care across different levels of the healthcare system.
The family doctor’s team also plays an important role in disease prevention. Survey participants were asked whether, over the past 12 months, their family doctor or a member of the team had offered them vaccination against influenza or other diseases. 36% of respondents said they had received such an offer, while 47% stated that vaccination had not been offered to them.
Chronic Disease Management Is Rated Positively
The survey also revealed the role played by family doctors and nurses in managing chronic conditions. 44% of respondents reported having been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition for which they regularly visit a doctor. Of these respondents, 70% believe that their family doctor’s team provides sufficient support in managing their chronic condition by monitoring their health, arranging the necessary tests and providing consultations, as well as adjusting treatment when needed. However, 25% of respondents said that this support was insufficient.
“Chronic conditions require ongoing attention and cooperation between the patient and the healthcare team. That is why it is important for people to have a healthcare professional who can monitor their health not just at individual points in time, but from a long-term perspective,” says an NHIF specialist.
Trust Is Growing
The survey also asked residents what role they believe family doctors should play in diagnosing and treating health problems. 56% of respondents believe that a family doctor should identify the general nature of a health problem and immediately refer the patient to the appropriate medical specialist, who would then prescribe further treatment. Meanwhile, 31% of respondents believe that family doctors should diagnose and treat the most common health problems themselves, referring patients to a medical specialist only in more complex cases.
Public confidence in family doctors’ ability to independently manage the most common health problems is increasing slightly. This year, 52% of respondents rated their ability positively, compared with 49% in 2025.
The full survey commissioned by the NHIF is available here.
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Last updated: 05-11-2026
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