Orientador: Eliana Goldfarb Cyrino / Resumo: Introdução: A Organização Mundial de Saúde recomenda uma razão de um médico para cada mil habitantes para que a população tenha um adequado acesso à saúde. Apesar de o Brasil possuir um número absoluto satisfatório de médicos, há no país uma distribuição desigual destes profissionais, com carência de médicos em comunidades remotas e vulneráveis, causando um grande impacto no bem-estar da população que ali se encontra e dificultando a universalização da saúde, como prevê os princípios do Sistema Único de Saúde. Diante disso, o Governo Federal criou, em 2013, o Programa Mais Médicos (PMM), com o intuito de suprir de forma emergencial a carência de médicos em regiões de difícil fixação dos mesmos. A literatura considera que o principal fator que leva um trabalhador a deixar uma organização é seu nível de insatisfação com a função que desempenha, o que também se faz verdadeiro na área da saúde. Sendo assim, podemos inferir que a insatisfação laboral do médico da Atenção Básica é um dos motivos da dificuldade de recrutá-los e fixá-los por um período mais longo. Objetivo: Este estudo se propõe a avaliar as satisfações e insatisfações no trabalho de médicos integrantes do PMM no município de Botucatu – SP, cidade universitária com elevado IDH e com razão médico-paciente de 6,25. Metodologia: Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, na qual foram feitas oito entrevistas semiestruturadas com médicos do PMM e uma entrevista com gestores da AB no município, as quais foram analisadas e categori... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Introduction: The World Health Organization recommends a ratio of one doctor per thousand inhabitants so that the population has adequate access to health. Although Brazil has a satisfactory absolute number of doctors, there is an unequal distribution of these professionals in the country, with a shortage of physicians in remote and vulnerable communities, causing a great impact on the well-being of the population that lives there and making it difficult to make health accessible for everyone, as foreseen by the principles of the Sistema Único de Saúde. Due to that, the Federal Government created in 2013 the More Doctors Program (PMM), with the aim of urgently supplying the shortage of doctors in regions that are difficult to set them down. The literature considers that the main factor that leads a worker to leave an organization is their level of dissatisfaction with the role they play, which is also true in the health field. Thus, we can infer that the dissatisfaction at work of the primary care physician is one of the reasons for the difficulty of recruiting them and fixing them for a longer period. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the satisfactions and dissatisfactions in the work of physicians of the PMM in the city of Botucatu - SP, a city with a renowned University, a high HDI and a physician-patient ratio of 6.25. Methodology: This is a qualitative research, in which eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with PMM physicians and one interview with healt... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

The primary health care (PHC) institution has a core value in comprehensive health care systems. PHC have been presented as an effective resolution in improving health care, because it is associated with the better health outcomes, lowers health care costs and is related to a greater equity in health. PHC institution was newly established in Lithuania in 1992, when the health care reform was started. Family physicians were retrained from district doctors (pediatricians and internists) or graduated family medicine residency. The recent years have been challenging for Lithuanian family medicine institution. This is the first national study, which evaluates changes in the task profiles and workload of family physicians ten years after the beginning of PHC reform in Lithuania. It provides new information about the differences and similarities in the services of retrained district physicians and physicians after family medicine residency. First time was evaluated family physicians’ satisfaction at national level: are they happy with new role? The study is exceptional because it combines data from patients and their family physicians and gives insight into the attitudes of PHC services users, an important indicator of the quality of health care. Aim of the study: to evaluate changes in family physicians’ task profiles and job satisfaction, and to assess patients’ attitudes towards PHC during ten years of PHC reform in Lithuania. Objectives of the study: 1. To evaluate and... [to full text] / Pirminei sveikatos priežiūrai (PSP) šiuolaikinėje sveikatos priežiūros sistemoje skiriamas ypatingas dėmesys, nes šios institucijos plėtojimas gerina visuomenės sveikatą, paslaugų prieinamumą bei mažina sveikatos sistemos išlaidas. Šeimos gydytojai Lietuvoje nuo 1992 metų pradėti ruošti dvejopai: dalis jų buvo perkvalifikuojami iš apylinkės gydytojų (terapeutų ir pediatrų), kita dalis buvo ruošiama stacionarinėje šeimos medicinos rezidentūroje. Neabejotinai pastarieji PSP reformos metai buvo iššūkis tiek visuomenei, tiek šeimos medicinos institucijai. Tai pirmasis nacionalinis tyrimas, kuriame vertinti šeimos gydytojų veiklos apimčių, darbo krūvio pokyčiai vykdant PSP reformą per dešimtį jos metų. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidžia šeimos gydytojų baigusių stacionarinę rezidentūrą panašumus ir skirtumus su šeimos gydytojais, persikvalifikavusiais iš apylinkės gydytojų. Pirmą kartą Lietuvoje šeimos gydytojų buvo klausiama, ar jie patenkinti savo darbu? Be to, tyrimo metu vienu mtu buvo apklausiami ne tik šeimos gydytojai, bet ir jų pacientai, kurių nuomonė labai svarbi vertinat sveikatos priežiūros paslaugų kokybę. Darbo tikslas: nustatyti šeimos gydytojų veiklos apimtis, jų nuomonę apie darbą ir įvertinti pacientų požiūrį apie pirminę sveikatos priežiūrą per pirminės sveikatos priežiūros reformos dešimtmetį. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1. Nustatyti ir palyginti apylinkės ir šeimos gydytojų darbo krūvį, veiklos apimtis ir jų pokyčius. 2. Palyginti šeimos gydytojų nuomonę apie jų darbą ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

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Introduction: The epidemic of overweight and obesity both worldwide and in Canada is indicative of the need for proper growth monitoring beginning at birth. This study evaluated Family Physician’s (FP) Level of Use (LoU) of the recommended 2006 and 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Charts for monitoring their paediatric patients’ growth. It explored factors influencing LoU, utilizing the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory and Ecological Framework for Effective Implementation (EFEI) as guiding models. FPs’ awareness of resources to support paediatric weight management was also assessed. Methods: A survey was distributed to FP in British Columbia (BC), Canada (N = 2853). The survey addressed provider and innovation characteristics, prevention delivery and support system factors, and barriers and facilitators to chart use. Correlations and multiple linear regression were used to determine correlates and predictors of LoU. Results: Sixty-two surveys were returned (2.2%). WHO Growth Chart LoU was 80.4%. Six variables significantly predicted LoU, including age (β = -.28, t = -3.15, p < .05), practicing in Fraser Health Authority region (β = -.24, t = -2.67, p < .05), assessing head circumference of birth to two year olds (β = .23, t = 2.45, p < .05), perceived growth chart accessibility (β = .39, t = 4.22, p < .05) and compatibility (β = .47, t = 5.27, p < .05), and innovativeness (β = -.37, t = -4.11, p < .05). These variables accounted for 69% of the variance in LoU. The most commonly identified barrier and facilitator to chart use was related to the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. FPs’ awareness of resources to support overweight paediatric patients was low. Conclusion: The majority of FP in BC in this sample had adopted the WHO Growth Charts. The results showed partial support for DOI theory and EFEI derived factors. Despite a small sample size, the findings highlighted the importance of installing the charts in the EMR systems, and can provide a foundation for future public health dissemination efforts and research on medical guideline implementation. / Graduate / 0573 / 0769 / erand@uvic.ca

Introduction: The epidemic of overweight and obesity both worldwide and in Canada is indicative of the need for proper growth monitoring beginning at birth. This study evaluated Family Physician’s (FP) Level of Use (LoU) of the recommended 2006 and 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Charts for monitoring their paediatric patients’ growth. It explored factors influencing LoU, utilizing the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory and Ecological Framework for Effective Implementation (EFEI) as guiding models. FPs’ awareness of resources to support paediatric weight management was also assessed. Methods: A survey was distributed to FP in British Columbia (BC), Canada (N = 2853). The survey addressed provider and innovation characteristics, prevention delivery and support system factors, and barriers and facilitators to chart use. Correlations and multiple linear regression were used to determine correlates and predictors of LoU. Results: Sixty-two surveys were returned (2.2%). WHO Growth Chart LoU was 80.4%. Six variables significantly predicted LoU, including age (β = -.28, t = -3.15, p < .05), practicing in Fraser Health Authority region (β = -.24, t = -2.67, p < .05), assessing head circumference of birth to two year olds (β = .23, t = 2.45, p < .05), perceived growth chart accessibility (β = .39, t = 4.22, p < .05) and compatibility (β = .47, t = 5.27, p < .05), and innovativeness (β = -.37, t = -4.11, p < .05). These variables accounted for 69% of the variance in LoU. The most commonly identified barrier and facilitator to chart use was related to the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. FPs’ awareness of resources to support overweight paediatric patients was low. Conclusion: The majority of FP in BC in this sample had adopted the WHO Growth Charts. The results showed partial support for DOI theory and EFEI derived factors. Despite a small sample size, the findings highlighted the importance of installing the charts in the EMR systems, and can provide a foundation for future public health dissemination efforts and research on medical guideline implementation. / Graduate / 0573 / 0769 / erand@uvic.ca

Les troubles douloureux de l’épaule (TDE) affectent jusqu’à 55% de la population générale et sont souvent difficiles à traiter. L’objectif de cette thèse était de développer une intervention de mobilisation des connaissances permettant d’implanter les recommandations de guides de pratique clinique (GPC) couvrant la prise en charge des TDE. Pour ce faire, un processus basé sur le cadre conceptuel Knowledge-to-Action a été utilisé. D’abord, une revue systématique des recommandations des GPC à implanter pour améliorer la prise en charge des TDE a été effectuée. Puis, les écarts dans la pratique des cliniciens ont été identifiés à l’aide d’un sondage documentant la prise en charge des TDE ainsi qu’une étude évaluant la concordance entre les physiothérapeutes et les orthopédistes au niveau du diagnostic et de la prise en charge des TDE. Ensuite, les déterminants à l’implantation des recommandations des GPC ont été identifiés en procédant à deux études qualitatives ciblant les expériences et les attentes des patients vivant avec un TDE, puis les barrières et facilitateurs à l’implantation des recommandations des GPC identifiés par les cliniciens. Enfin, l’utilisation du Behaviour Change Wheel et des déterminants ont permis d’identifier des stratégies visant à implanter les recommandations de GPC sur la prise en charge des TDE en première ligne de soins. La revue systématique des GPC a permis de déterminer qu’initialement, les TDE ne requièrent généralement pas d’imagerie médicale et de référence à un médecin spécialiste, mais qu’un programme de réadaptation actif est requis. Selon les résultats du sondage, les médecins de famille (n=76) ont recommandé plus d’imagerie que les physiothérapeutes (n=175). Jusqu’à deux physiothérapeutes sur trois ont sélectionné des traitements non recommandés par les GPC. Les résultats de l’étude de concordance démontrent que l’accord entre physiothérapeutes et orthopédistes était bon au niveau du diagnostic et modéré au niveau du triage des candidats chirurgicaux. Les patients souffrant de TDE interrogés (n=13) ont mentionné, dans la première étude qualitative, avoir attendu que leur douleur soit incapacitante avant de consulter un professionnel. Ces participants s’attendaient alors à recevoir un diagnostic clair et à être référés pour des tests d’imagerie. Finalement, ils espéraient recevoir des explications complètes et se voir proposer des options pertinentes de traitements. Les 19 physiothérapeutes et 16 médecins de famille interrogés dans la deuxième étude qualitative ont indiqué comme barrières à l’utilisation des recommandations des GPC : le manque de connaissances, le manque d’habileté à réaliser une évaluation clinique de l’épaule et la crainte de ne pas détecter une pathologie grave, si présente, sans un test d’imagerie. Le temps insuffisant de consultation avec les patients, leurs attentes et le manque d’accès à certains soins ont aussi été indiqués comme des barrières. Les principales stratégies identifiées suivant ces études incluent donc des interventions éducatives, la préparation de champions cliniques et la création d’équipes cliniques interdisciplinaires. À l’aide de ces stratégies, l’implantation pilote de l’intervention sera réalisée dans des groupes de médecine familiale. L’impact potentiellement bénéfique de cette implantation pourrait, à terme, améliorer la prise en charge des patients atteints de TDE. / Shoulder pain is a common and difficult to manage condition that can affect up to 55% of the general population. To optimize shoulder pain management in primary care, the main objective of this thesis was to develop a knowledge mobilization intervention to implement the recommendations from clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) covering the management of different shoulder disorders. A knowledge mobilization process based on four steps of the Knowledge-to-Action framework was used in this thesis. First, a systematic review of CPGs was performed to identify recommendations to be implemented for improving shoulder pain management in primary care. Then, the evidence-practice gaps were assessed using a survey documenting family physicians and physiotherapists shoulder pain management as well as in a study evaluating the concordance between physiotherapists and orthopedists for shoulder pain diagnosis and management. The determinants influencing CPGs recommendations’ implementation were identified by conducting two qualitative studies. The first study explored the experiences and expectations of patients living with shoulder pain and the second aimed to interview clinicians for identifying barriers and facilitators to the implementation of CPGs recommendations. Finally, based on the identified determinants and using the Behaviour Change Wheel method, we identified strategies for implementing CPGs recommendations covering the management of shoulder pain in primary care. Based on the systematic review of shoulder CPGs, we identified that shoulder pain generally does not initially require diagnostic imaging and referral to a medical musculoskeletal specialist, but that an active rehabilitation program is required. According to the survey results, family physicians (n=76) recommended more imaging than physiotherapists (n=175) for rotator cuff tendinopathy and adhesive capsulitis, although this is not indicated. Up to two out of three physiotherapists selected treatments not recommended by CPGs in the management of shoulder pain. The results of the concordance study showed that the agreement between physiotherapists and orthopedists was good in terms of diagnosis and moderate in terms of triage of surgical candidates. Patients (n=13) interviewed in the first qualitative study reported waiting until their shoulder pain was disabling before seeing a family physician or a physiotherapist. Participants expected a clear diagnosis and imaging tests to explain their shoulder pain. They also wished to receive clear and thorough explanations and relevant treatment options. The 19 physiotherapists and 16 family physicians that participated in focus groups indicated as barriers to the use of CPGs recommendations: lack of knowledge, poor skills in performing a clinical evaluation and fear of not identifying a serious pathology without medical imaging. Patients’ expectations, insufficient consultation time with patients and lack of patients’ access to certain care, such as rehabilitation treatments were also identified as barriers. The main strategies identified following these studies therefore include educational interventions, the preparation of clinical champions and the creation of interdisciplinary clinical teams. Using these strategies, pilot implementation of the intervention will be carried out in family medicine groups. The potentially beneficial impact of this implantation could ultimately improve the management of patients with shoulder pain in primary care.

L’évaluation économique en santé consiste en l’analyse comparative d’alternatives de services en regard à la fois de leurs coûts et de leurs conséquences. Elle est un outil d’aide à la décision. La grande majorité des décisions concernant l’allocation des ressources sont prises en clinique; particulièrement au niveau des soins primaires. Puisque chaque décision est associée à un coût d’opportunité, la non-prise en compte des considérations économiques dans les pratiques des médecins de famille peut avoir un impact important sur l’efficience du système de santé. Il existe peu de connaissances quant à l’influence des évaluations économiques sur la pratique clinique. L’objet de la thèse est de comprendre le rôle de l’évaluation économique dans la pratique des médecins de famille. Ses contributions font l’objet de quatre articles originaux (philosophique, théorique, méthodologique et empirique). L’article philosophique suggère l’importance des questions de complexité et de réflexivité en évaluation économique. La complexité est la perspective philosophique, (approche générale épistémologique) qui sous-tend la thèse. Cette vision du monde met l’attention sur l’explication et la compréhension et sur les relations et les interactions (causalité interactive). Cet accent sur le contexte et le processus de production des données souligne l’importance de la réflexivité dans le processus de recherche. L’article théorique développe une conception nouvelle et différente du problème de recherche. L’originalité de la thèse réside également dans son approche qui s’appuie sur la perspective de la théorie sociologique de Pierre Bourdieu; une approche théorique cohérente avec la complexité. Opposé aux modèles individualistes de l’action rationnelle, Bourdieu préconise une approche sociologique qui s’inscrit dans la recherche d’une compréhension plus complète et plus complexe des phénomènes sociaux en mettant en lumière les influences souvent implicites qui viennent chaque jour exercer des pressions sur les individus et leurs pratiques. L’article méthodologique présente le protocole d’une étude qualitative de cas multiples avec niveaux d’analyse imbriqués : les médecins de famille (niveau micro-individuel) et le champ de la médecine familiale (niveau macro-structurel). Huit études de cas furent réalisées avec le médecin de famille comme unité principale d’analyse. Pour le niveau micro, la collecte des informations fut réalisée à l’aide d’entrevues de type histoire de vie, de documents et d’observation. Pour le niveau macro, la collecte des informations fut réalisée à l’aide de documents, et d’entrevues de type semi-structuré auprès de huit informateurs clés, de neuf organisations médicales. L’induction analytique fut utilisée. L’article empirique présente l’ensemble des résultats empiriques de la thèse. Les résultats montrent une intégration croissante de concepts en économie dans le discours officiel des organisations de médecine familiale. Cependant, au niveau de la pratique, l'économisation de ce discours ne semble pas être une représentation fidèle de la réalité puisque la très grande majorité des participants n'incarnent pas ce discours. Les contributions incluent une compréhension approfondie des processus sociaux qui influencent les schèmes de perception, de pensée, d’appréciation et d’action des médecins de famille quant au rôle de l’évaluation économique dans la pratique clinique et la volonté des médecins de famille à contribuer à une allocation efficiente, équitable et légitime des ressources. / Health economic evaluations are analytic techniques to assess the relative costs and consequences of health services. Their role is to inform the decision-making process. A vast amount of resource allocation decisions are undertaken at the clinical-encounter level; especially in primary care. Since every decision has an opportunity cost, ignoring economic information in family physicians’ practices may have a broad impact on health care efficiency. There is little evidence on the influence of economic evaluation on clinical practice. The objective of the thesis is to understand the role of economic evaluation in family physicians’ practices. Its contributions are presented in four original articles (philosophical, theoretical, methodological, and empirical). The philosophical article suggests that complexity and reflexivity are two important issues for economic evaluation. Complexity thinking is the philosophical perspective (overarching epistemological approach) underpinning the thesis. This way of thinking focuses attention on explanation and understanding and gives particular emphasis to relations and interactions (interactive causality). This increased emphasis on the context and process of data production highlights the importance of reflexivity in the research process. The theoretical article develops a new and different conceptualization of the research problem. The originality of the thesis also lay in the research problem being approached from the perspective of Pierre Bourdieu's sociological theory. Bourdieu’s approach embraces complexity. Moving away from individualist, rational models of action, it can contribute to a more complete and complex understanding of social phenomena by revealing the structuring effects of social fields on the individual’s dispositions and practices. The methodological article presents the protocol of a qualitative embedded multiple-case study research. There were two embedded units of analysis: the family physicians (micro-individual level) and the field of family medicine (macro-structural level). Eight case studies were performed with the family physician as the unit of analysis. The sources of data collection for the micro-level were eight life history interviews with family physicians, documents and observational evidence. The sources of data collection for the macro-level were documents, and eight open-ended focused interviews with key informants, from nine medical organizations. The analytic induction approach to data analysis was used. The empirical article presents all the empirical findings of the thesis. The findings show an increasing integration of economics concepts into the official discourse of family medicine organizations. However, at the level of practice, the economization of this discourse does not seem to be true depictions of reality as the very great majority of the study participants do not embody this discourse. The contributions include a deep understanding of the social processes that influence family physicians’ schemes of perception, thought, appreciation and action with respect to the role of economic evaluation in their practices, and the family physicians’ willingness to contribute to efficient, fair and legitimate resource allocation.

L’évaluation économique en santé consiste en l’analyse comparative d’alternatives de services en regard à la fois de leurs coûts et de leurs conséquences. Elle est un outil d’aide à la décision. La grande majorité des décisions concernant l’allocation des ressources sont prises en clinique; particulièrement au niveau des soins primaires. Puisque chaque décision est associée à un coût d’opportunité, la non-prise en compte des considérations économiques dans les pratiques des médecins de famille peut avoir un impact important sur l’efficience du système de santé. Il existe peu de connaissances quant à l’influence des évaluations économiques sur la pratique clinique. L’objet de la thèse est de comprendre le rôle de l’évaluation économique dans la pratique des médecins de famille. Ses contributions font l’objet de quatre articles originaux (philosophique, théorique, méthodologique et empirique). L’article philosophique suggère l’importance des questions de complexité et de réflexivité en évaluation économique. La complexité est la perspective philosophique, (approche générale épistémologique) qui sous-tend la thèse. Cette vision du monde met l’attention sur l’explication et la compréhension et sur les relations et les interactions (causalité interactive). Cet accent sur le contexte et le processus de production des données souligne l’importance de la réflexivité dans le processus de recherche. L’article théorique développe une conception nouvelle et différente du problème de recherche. L’originalité de la thèse réside également dans son approche qui s’appuie sur la perspective de la théorie sociologique de Pierre Bourdieu; une approche théorique cohérente avec la complexité. Opposé aux modèles individualistes de l’action rationnelle, Bourdieu préconise une approche sociologique qui s’inscrit dans la recherche d’une compréhension plus complète et plus complexe des phénomènes sociaux en mettant en lumière les influences souvent implicites qui viennent chaque jour exercer des pressions sur les individus et leurs pratiques. L’article méthodologique présente le protocole d’une étude qualitative de cas multiples avec niveaux d’analyse imbriqués : les médecins de famille (niveau micro-individuel) et le champ de la médecine familiale (niveau macro-structurel). Huit études de cas furent réalisées avec le médecin de famille comme unité principale d’analyse. Pour le niveau micro, la collecte des informations fut réalisée à l’aide d’entrevues de type histoire de vie, de documents et d’observation. Pour le niveau macro, la collecte des informations fut réalisée à l’aide de documents, et d’entrevues de type semi-structuré auprès de huit informateurs clés, de neuf organisations médicales. L’induction analytique fut utilisée. L’article empirique présente l’ensemble des résultats empiriques de la thèse. Les résultats montrent une intégration croissante de concepts en économie dans le discours officiel des organisations de médecine familiale. Cependant, au niveau de la pratique, l'économisation de ce discours ne semble pas être une représentation fidèle de la réalité puisque la très grande majorité des participants n'incarnent pas ce discours. Les contributions incluent une compréhension approfondie des processus sociaux qui influencent les schèmes de perception, de pensée, d’appréciation et d’action des médecins de famille quant au rôle de l’évaluation économique dans la pratique clinique et la volonté des médecins de famille à contribuer à une allocation efficiente, équitable et légitime des ressources. / Health economic evaluations are analytic techniques to assess the relative costs and consequences of health services. Their role is to inform the decision-making process. A vast amount of resource allocation decisions are undertaken at the clinical-encounter level; especially in primary care. Since every decision has an opportunity cost, ignoring economic information in family physicians’ practices may have a broad impact on health care efficiency. There is little evidence on the influence of economic evaluation on clinical practice. The objective of the thesis is to understand the role of economic evaluation in family physicians’ practices. Its contributions are presented in four original articles (philosophical, theoretical, methodological, and empirical). The philosophical article suggests that complexity and reflexivity are two important issues for economic evaluation. Complexity thinking is the philosophical perspective (overarching epistemological approach) underpinning the thesis. This way of thinking focuses attention on explanation and understanding and gives particular emphasis to relations and interactions (interactive causality). This increased emphasis on the context and process of data production highlights the importance of reflexivity in the research process. The theoretical article develops a new and different conceptualization of the research problem. The originality of the thesis also lay in the research problem being approached from the perspective of Pierre Bourdieu's sociological theory. Bourdieu’s approach embraces complexity. Moving away from individualist, rational models of action, it can contribute to a more complete and complex understanding of social phenomena by revealing the structuring effects of social fields on the individual’s dispositions and practices. The methodological article presents the protocol of a qualitative embedded multiple-case study research. There were two embedded units of analysis: the family physicians (micro-individual level) and the field of family medicine (macro-structural level). Eight case studies were performed with the family physician as the unit of analysis. The sources of data collection for the micro-level were eight life history interviews with family physicians, documents and observational evidence. The sources of data collection for the macro-level were documents, and eight open-ended focused interviews with key informants, from nine medical organizations. The analytic induction approach to data analysis was used. The empirical article presents all the empirical findings of the thesis. The findings show an increasing integration of economics concepts into the official discourse of family medicine organizations. However, at the level of practice, the economization of this discourse does not seem to be true depictions of reality as the very great majority of the study participants do not embody this discourse. The contributions include a deep understanding of the social processes that influence family physicians’ schemes of perception, thought, appreciation and action with respect to the role of economic evaluation in their practices, and the family physicians’ willingness to contribute to efficient, fair and legitimate resource allocation.