Boosting a Less Known Job(3)

One-to-one services

Zhang Yonghong, a GP who has worked at the Yuyuan Community Healthcare Center in Jinan, capital of eastern Shandong Province, said, "The duty of a GP is more than treating patients. It's about being part of their life and community."

There are about 15,000 people in the Yuyuan Community. Zhang said that her center had complete medical records for every resident there and she already recognized almost every patient who calls on her."

Because she found quite a few of the communities' residents were diabetic, Zhang decided to set up a club for patients of this kind. The purpose of the club is to gather diabetes patients together and then give lectures and advice on how to deal with the disease in daily life. They patients also share their experiences in dealing with the disease.

Wang Hongwei, a resident with diabetes in the Yuyuan Community, always goes to Zhang for problems with diabetes. "Once I lost weight rapidly. Initially, I thought it was because I wasn't controlling my blood sugar very well, but Zhang told me it might be because of hyperthyreosis," he said.

Test results confirmed that Zhang's diagnosis was right. As a GP in regular contact with her patients, Zhang is often able to identify diseases at a very early stage.

"Visiting patients' homes is another important task for GPs," Zhang said. "The family environment is very important for patients with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure."