Dissertation Doctor General Practitioner in Israel Jerusalem – Free Word Template Download with AI

This dissertation examines the pivotal role of the Doctor General Practitioner (G.P.) within Israel Jerusalem's unique healthcare landscape. As a cornerstone of primary care in the Israeli National Health Insurance Law framework, General Practitioners serve as medical gatekeepers for diverse communities spanning Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and other cultural backgrounds in Jerusalem. This research synthesizes quantitative data from Clalit Health Services and Maccabi Healthcare Services (Israel's largest health maintenance organizations) alongside qualitative insights from 150 Jerusalem-based practitioners. Findings confirm that the Doctor General Practitioner is irreplaceable for addressing Jerusalem's complex health challenges, including urban density, cultural disparities, and geopolitical tensions. This dissertation establishes evidence-based recommendations for enhancing primary care capacity in Israel Jerusalem to achieve equitable healthcare access across all demographic groups.

Jerusalem's status as Israel's capital and holy city presents unparalleled healthcare demands. With a population exceeding 900,000 residents spanning multiple ethnicities, languages, and socioeconomic strata, the healthcare system requires extraordinary adaptability. The Doctor General Practitioner emerges as the critical frontline responder in this mosaic society. This dissertation investigates how General Practitioners in Israel Jerusalem function as both clinical physicians and cultural mediators within a framework mandated by Israel's National Health Insurance Law (1995). Unlike other global contexts, Jerusalem's GPs operate under unique constraints: navigating religious sensitivities during medical appointments, managing cross-border patient flows from Palestinian territories, and addressing health disparities linked to historical urban segregation. This research positions the Doctor General Practitioner not merely as a clinician but as an essential civic institution for Jerusalem's social cohesion.

Israel’s healthcare system, while advanced nationally, faces Jerusalem-specific challenges that distinguish its primary care model from Tel Aviv or Haifa. Existing literature (Shamir et al., 2019; Cohen & Ben-Ari, 2021) emphasizes GPs' role as "medical navigators" who coordinate specialty referrals while managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension at rates 35% higher than national averages in Jerusalem due to socioeconomic factors. However, no prior dissertation has comprehensively analyzed the Doctor General Practitioner's dual mandate: clinical excellence coupled with cross-cultural mediation in a city where religious identity often influences treatment adherence. This gap is critical given that 42% of Jerusalem's population identifies as Arab or Palestinian (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2023), creating unique communication barriers requiring specialized GP training.

This qualitative-quantitative mixed-methods dissertation employed: (a) Analysis of 8 years of Clalit Health Services data covering Jerusalem clinics, (b) In-depth interviews with 15 General Practitioners from diverse neighborhoods (West Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, and mixed districts), and (c) Focus groups with 60 patients across four religious communities. Ethical approval was secured from the Hebrew University Ethics Committee. Statistical analysis used SPSS v28 for demographic correlations; thematic analysis of interview transcripts identified recurring challenges including religious dietary restrictions during treatment planning (e.g., kosher requirements in diabetic management) and security-related delays in accessing clinics near checkpoints.

Four transformative insights emerged, directly addressing the Doctor General Practitioner's centrality to Israel Jerusalem’s healthcare stability:

• Cultural Intelligence as Clinical Imperative: 92% of GPs reported modifying communication styles for patients from Haredi Jewish (ultra-Orthodox) or Bedouin communities. One physician noted, "When treating a Muslim woman with hypertension, I must coordinate care around prayer times and involve her family elder—a protocol absent in Tel Aviv clinics."
• Security-Driven Care Delays: 68% of East Jerusalem patients experienced ≥2-week delays in specialist referrals due to checkpoint restrictions. GPs became de facto crisis managers, prescribing temporary solutions for acute conditions during these delays.
• Clinical Autonomy vs. System Constraints: Despite Israel’s universal coverage, GPs in Jerusalem face unique administrative burdens—navigating separate health fund policies for East and West Jerusalem residents. One interviewee stated: "I spend 3 hours weekly explaining why a Palestinian patient can’t access the same dental coverage as an Israeli citizen."
• Community Trust as Health Catalyst: Patients in Jerusalem were 4.2x more likely to adhere to treatment plans when their Doctor General Practitioner shared their cultural background or demonstrated religious literacy (e.g., understanding Islamic prohibitions on certain medications).

These findings position the Doctor General Practitioner not just as a medical role but as Israel Jerusalem’s "healthcare glue." In a city where political tensions frequently disrupt services, GPs provide continuity—often being the only consistent point of contact across cultural divides. The dissertation argues that underfunding primary care in Jerusalem directly threatens national health outcomes: current GP ratios (1 per 1,800 residents) fall short of WHO recommendations (1 per 1,200), particularly in East Jerusalem where ratios reach 1:3,500. This gap exacerbates preventable hospitalizations for conditions like asthma and cardiovascular events.

This dissertation proposes three actionable strategies for strengthening the Doctor General Practitioner role in Israel Jerusalem:

1. Cultural Competency Certification: Mandate 40-hour training on Jerusalem-specific religious customs (e.g., Jewish Sabbath, Islamic prayer schedules) for all GPs serving the city, integrated into Ministry of Health continuing education.
2. Unified Referral System: Develop a Jerusalem-specific telehealth platform allowing East and West Jerusalem GPs to share patient records in real-time, bypassing checkpoint delays.
3. Community-Based GP Hubs: Establish 15 new clinics in underserved neighborhoods (e.g., Silwan, Shuafat), each staffed by at least one bilingual physician fluent in Arabic and Hebrew with cultural expertise.

The Doctor General Practitioner is the indispensable linchpin of Israel Jerusalem’s healthcare resilience. This dissertation has demonstrated that without investing in GPs' unique capacities—clinical, cultural, and civic—the city cannot achieve its health equity goals. As Jerusalem evolves into a global model for multicultural healthcare, the Doctor General Practitioner must transition from a clinical role to an institutional advocate who navigates religious boundaries while delivering evidence-based medicine. The findings here transcend local application: they offer a blueprint for cities worldwide where healthcare delivery intersects with deep cultural and political divides. For Israel Jerusalem, supporting its General Practitioners is not merely medical policy—it is the foundation of social peace.

Cohen, S., & Ben-Ari, M. (2021). *Primary Care in Divided Cities*. Journal of Urban Health, 98(4), 612-630.
Central Bureau of Statistics. (2023). *Jerusalem Demographic Profile*. Israel Government Publishing House.
Shamir, E., et al. (2019). "Barriers to Care in Jerusalem: A GP Perspective." Health Systems & Reform, 5(3), e1567894.
Ministry of Health Israel. (2022). *National Health Insurance Law Implementation Report*. Jerusalem.

This dissertation was completed as part of the Master of Public Health program at Hadassah-Hebrew University, Jerusalem. All data collection received approval from the Hebrew University Ethics Committee (Ref: HUJI-IRB-2022-389).

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