In the increasingly fragmented world of health care, one thing remains constant: family physicians are dedicated to treating the whole person. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focusing on integrated care.
Unlike other specialties that are limited to a particular organ or disease, family medicine integrates care for patients of all genders and every age, and advocates for the patient in a complex health care system. In Family medicine, medical society is devoted solely to primary care.
The specialty of family medicine is committed to fulfill the generalist function in medicine, which suffered with the growth of subspecialization after World War II. Since its inception as a subspecialty group of healthcare, it has delivered on its promise to reverse the decline of general medicine and provide personal, front-line medical care to people of all socioeconomic strata and in many countries.
In America, family physicians provide the majority of care for underserved rural and urban populations. Without family physicians, rural and underserved populations, in particular, would lack access to primary care.
Because of their extensive training, family physicians are the only specialists qualified to treat most ailments and provide comprehensive health care for people of all ages– from newborns to seniors. Like other medical specialists, family physicians complete a three-year residency program after graduating from medical school.
As part of their residency, they participate in integrated inpatient and outpatient learning and receive training in six major medical areas: pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, psychiatry and neurology, surgery, and community medicine. They also receive instruction in many other areas including geriatrics, emergency medicine, ophthalmology, radiology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, and urology.
Family physicians deliver a range of acute, chronic, and preventive medical care services while providing patients with a patient-centered medical home.
In addition to diagnosing and treating illness, they also provide preventive care, including routine checkups, health-risk assessments, immunization and screening tests, and personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Family physicians also manage chronic illness, often coordinating care provided by other subspecialists. From heart disease, stroke and hypertension, to diabetes, cancer, and asthma, family physicians provide ongoing, personal care for the nation’s most serious health problems.
Family medicine facts
Family medicine is the most versatile of all physician specialties, providing comprehensive medical care to patients of all genders and all ages, and family physicians are just as diverse as their patients.
Family physicians deliver care in a variety of settings, including:
Office practices
Hospitals
Nursing homes
Community health centers
Urgent care centers
Emergency rooms
University-based health centers
Family physicians have the flexibility to tailor their clinical services to the unique needs of their patients and their situations. In addition to office-based procedural training, family physicians receive training in hospital-based medicine, including critical care and obstetrical procedures. Family physicians have the flexibility to incorporate procedures into their patient care as their skills and interests evolve and demand for various services develops in their community.