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Hippokrates programme	Contents
NATIONAL PRESENTATION: Italy

OVERVIEW OF GENERAL PRACTICE IN ITALY                               
General Practice in Italy plays a key role in the National Health System, as the GP is usually the first contact person for every citizen. Everybody can freely choose their own GP and get medical care free of charge, as general practice is part of the National Health System established in 1978 and funded by general taxation. 

The GP can assess the global needs (medical, non-medical) of the person in his own context, assuring prevention, follow-up and the continuity of care. Patients are referred to specialists and hospitals in selected cases.

Paediatricians look after children with an age up to 12 years.

In Italian family medicine the relationship between doctors and patients is not just professional but also personal and friendly, lasting usually many years.

At present a large majority of GPs work in single-handed practices, however in the last few years the number of group practices with supporting staff has been growing quickly.

Every GP manages an average of 1200-1300 patients, 1500 is the maximum in their list.

MEDICAL EDUCATION AND GP VOCATIONAL TRAINING
The basic medical education in Italy is 6 years.
Only few medical schools have Family Medicine in their programmes and just recently one month of GP training after graduation became compulsory to get the license to practice.

The GP vocational training in Italy is three years and it is mandatory to work as fulltime GP.

Each Region is in charge of organizing and managing the training as following:
 

-          1 year of training in one or more teaching GP practice

-        1 1/2 year of internship in hospital approved posts (6 months internal medicine, 3 months A&E, 2 months obs & gyn, 4 months paediatrics, 3 months surgery)

-          6 months in health services outside the hospital

One third of total amount of training hours is dedicated to lectures and research.
 

WHY HIPPOKRATES IN ITALY?

Family Medicine in Italy is undergoing a historical reform both organisationally and scientifically, why our country is becoming more and more interesting for GP trainees.

The Hippokrates project can play an important role in this process helping cultural exchange within Italy and the European Countries.

And last but not least Italy is a wonderful country: shall we talk about cities, landscapes, fine art, beaches?

So come on over and join us!

Senior Country coordinator for Italy:

Giuseppe Parisi MD
STUDI MEDICI S.MARTINO
Via S. Martino 11
38100 TRENTO
Mobile +39 348 301 3688
Fax +39 0461 74 31 11
Email: parisi@iol.it

Junior Country coordinator for Italy:
 

Italy - HOST PRACTICE

Giuseppe Parisi MD
STUDI MEDICI S.MARTINO
Via S. Martino 11
38100 TRENTO
Mobile +39 348 301 3688
Fax +39 0461 74 31 11
Email: parisi@iol.it

Practice profile

Our practice is located downtown in Trento (100.000 in.), a town in Northern Italy, in a very famous Alpine area, close to Dolomites. You can enjoy both the landscape of the surrounding area and very special places like Verona (1 hrs drive), Venice (2 hrs. drive) and Florence (3 hrs. drive).

In the practice work 5 GPs and 2 receptionists and one nurse. Information technology is a main point of our coordinated work. We have 5000 patients registered.

Three  of us (Fabrizio Valcanover, Fabio Chesani and Giuseppe Parisi) are teachers and tutors at the local regional postgraduate training course, and we can provide meetings with our students, workshops and… pizza in the afternoon!

The two weeks visit programme has been designed to enable students to see GPs in action, to discuss with doctors about clinical, organizational and psychosocial issues, to visit the palliative unit of the area and to interview the local health coordinator in order to gain insight in local resources.

For accommodation, there is a nice and new Youth Hostel nearby.

There is no preferred period, although it would be better to avoid the months of January, February and March.

If you are interested, please write us for further information.

Italy – HOST PRACTICE

Dr. Lino Gambarelli
Via Matteotti, 6
42019 Scandiano (Reggio Emilia)
Tel: +39 522 857360 Work
Tel: +39 522 854237 Home
Fax: +39 522 981399
E-mail: linoga@tin.it

Practice profile
The practice, situated in the middle of the Scandiano town, consists of 8500 patients.
Scandiano is located in Reggio Emilia province (Northern Italy). About 22.500 inhabitants live in the town. A railway connects Scandiano to Reggio Emilia; several buses start daily to Reggio Emila and Modena.

Six people are working in the practice:

• Dott. Antonio Manni
  Palliative care specialist and member of the medical staff in a Hospice (12 beds). He is also interested in acupuncture and pain treatment.
• Dott. Corinna Montanari
  Tutor of general practice students attending the postgraduate vocational training course in general practice.
• Dott. Umberto Bertolani
  Occupational medicine specialist and expert in computers and information technology.
• Dott. Nearco Corti
  Expert in problems pertaining to syndicate and Professional Corporation. He practices also in another surgery close to Scandiano consisting of people who live far away from town.
• Dott. Massimo Pedroni
  Educational issues expert: he deals with important social problems as for instance smoke and alcohol abuse.
• Dott. Lino Gambarelli (responsible for students who intend to visits the practice)
  Interested in organisation and quality assurance.

Once a week a meeting takes place in the practice for discussing clinical and administrative matters. This meeting plans the main activities and, if necessary, substitution. We employ two part-time assistants and a dermatology specialist. The surgery is near to the local little Hospital and to the Local Health Authority.

In recent years, our group (one of the few teams of general practitioners in our provincial territory) has developed some projects and carried out many researches in cooperation with Local Health Authority.

During the two weeks period the visiting Trainee will be able to participate in daily work (consultations, home visits, local hospital visits, hospice and health board).

In Scandiano there are two low cost hotels near the Surgery, where the visiting Trainee may find an accommodation.

The stage can be held in any period of the year.