The well-being of the population during the heatwave and communication with the family doctor

Abstract

Introduction. There have been moreare the first point of contact in informing and raising public awareness. and more heat waves in the last decade. With the hot temperatures, the number of visits to family doctors also increases. As the first link in the medical system, family doctors. Doctors will have to care for patients who bear the brunt of the disease from the impact of climate change. Teaching about climate change is very important in medical education. Integrating climate change into medical education offers an opportunity for future doctors to develop skills and insights essential for clinical practice and a public health role in a climate-changing world.Purpose.Highlighting the influence of the heat wave on the well-being of the population and access to the family doctor.Material and methods.During the pilot research following the questionnaire (no. 13 of 15.03.19) elaborated and approved at the Research Ethics Committee of the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemitanu” a cross-sectional study was designed. The study consisted of 150 people, including 106 people over the age of 40.Results. More than half (62%) of the respondents mentioned that they were greatly influenced by the extreme temperatures in their daily activities. Analyzing the frequency of visits to the family doctor due to extreme temperatures during the heat wave, 7% specified that they went very often, 2.7% - once a week, 8% - once a month, and the rest - very rarely. About one-fifth (18%) of the respondents said that the frequency of contacting their family doctor increased compared to previous years. Of the mentioned complaints, the most common were headache, suffocation, hypertension and anxiety.Conclusions.The population feels the influence of extreme temperatures, but are insufficiently aware of its effects, so the frequency of contacting the doctor is low. Campaigns are needed to raise awareness of the consequences of the heatwave and the importance of contacting a family doctor in time.