ArticleFamily medicine and community health2025
Scope of practice of Japanese primary care physicians and its associated factors: a cross-sectional study.
Article in Family medicine and community health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Patient perceptions of advance care planning within primary care: a systematic review of facilitators and barriers.BMC primary care · 2025Pooled it
- Postnatal Care Practice and the Facilitating Factors Among Japanese Primary Care Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of general and family medicine · 2026Article
- Acquisition of the Competency of Generalism and Its Association With Community-Based Clinical Clerkships at General/Family Medicine Institutions: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of general and family medicine · 2026Article
- Testing and evaluating updated variants of the rurality index for Japan: a nationwide methodological study.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of Balint group interventions for physician burnout: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Article
- The Role of Physiotherapists in Multi-professional Primary Care: Lessons for Japan.Physical therapy research · 2026Review
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4 authors.
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Abstract
objectiveThe scope of practice (SOP) of primary care physicians (PCPs) has been narrowing, with declining comprehensiveness leading to fragmented care. Identifying SOP-associated factors can help improve comprehensiveness. This study aimed to describe the SOP of PCPs working in clinics and to identify SOP-associated factors.
designA cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire.
settingShizuoka, Japan.
participantsPCPs working in clinics offering internal medicine.
main outcome measuresThe total number of services provided, covering 109 items, was categorised into 8 clinical areas, 78 clinical activities and 23 procedures.
resultsQuestionnaires were mailed to 1191 clinics, and 389 valid responses were included in the analysis. Of the 389 physicians, 254 (65.3%) were internal medicine specialists, and 382 (98.2%) worked in their own private clinics. The mean number of services provided was 60.4±17.4. Clinical activities were provided less frequently in the areas of paediatric and adolescent care, women's health, home healthcare, palliative care and mental health. Physician-related factors were more significantly associated with SOP than practice or environmental factors. Preference for broad practice was the strongest factor associated with a broader SOP, followed by completion of the Japan Medical Association (JMA) primary care training programme and rotational training experience. Additionally, younger physician age, rural practice experience, surgical specialisation, a larger number of physicians in the clinic, higher patient volume and a more rural setting were associated with broader SOP.
conclusionPhysician preference regarding SOP, completion of the JMA primary care training programme and rotational training are key factors influencing SOP. These findings suggest that postgraduate clinical training with a broad scope not limited to internal medicine and continuing medical education after establishing a private clinic, particularly for physicians who prefer broad practice, may be important in expanding the SOP of PCPs.
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