Introduction Cardiovascular risk management by primary care in Portugal
In Portugal patients are managed in a private care setting and use hospital specialties. Primary care is further separated into public health units and the primary health units. In the primary health units, including new family care units (at last count about 900) there are doctors, nurses, and secretaries. They work like a team with approximately 3,000 family doctors, each with a patient list of about 2,000 patients. Currently there are 2,000 physician residents in the 4-year programs. During residency there are several types of consultation with family care units, with a maximum of 20 minutes for each of them. Residents have adult consultations where they can do the residence’s screening, including cancer, hypertension, and diabetes screening. Residents have a consultation dedicated just for diabetes, a consultation for hypertension, a consultation for hypocoagulation, for fertility, for pregnancy, and for pediatric population. In addition, residents also perform well home visits.
As for cardiovascular organizations there is the Portuguese National Association of Family and General Medicine which represents all family doctors. The organization has a cardiovascular study group with 7 board members. The association organizes workshops, clinical sessions, and participate in the Vasco da Gama Movement Forum. In addition, there is the Portuguese Society of Cardiology, however it is exclusive for cardiologists.
