Family Medicine
Family medicine is the practice in which practitioners provide comprehensive primary health care to patients and their families. Practitioners who practice family medicine can provide routine wellness care, preventative care, treatment of illness, etc., to patients regardless of age, gender, health or social status. They are also trained to know about many areas of medicine so that they are equipped to treat a wide variety of conditions.
Purpose:
The goal of family medicine is to provide continual, comprehensive care to an individual and/or family. Family medicine advocates believe that seeing many different specialists can sometimes result in fragmented care. But physicians who practice family medicine are trained in providing coordination of care and will refer patients to specialists if/when necessary. Frequently, they can also provide information about other community resources or health services.
Some of the services:
- Diagnosis, treat and prevent chronic disease
- Immediate care for sudden illness or injury
- Routine physical exams as well as sports clearance physical exams
- Vaccination recommendations
- Preventative medicine focused on lifestyle
- Mental health
Benefits:
Family medicine practitioners can help create a health care system with an emphasis on equitable care that is accessible to and affordable for all patients. Having a family practitioner also allows members of the family to see the same practitioner. This enables the developing of a trusting and genuine personal relationship with the family, which can result in better care.
Practitioners who care for a family over a period of years may also be able to provide better guidance about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially if the family's medical history is known or there are patterns of health issues. By adapting lifestyle changes and new health habits, patients may be able to avoid costly medications or procedures that can later affect them.
Family practitioners treat chronic disease, ongoing health needs or other conditions and can help a patient develop a personalized, cost-effective treatment plan.
Additional Resources
Nutrition & Exercise
Physicals
