The first family practice physicians were general practitioners who provided care to everyone in town regardless of age. Their expertise was used to deliver babies, treat children with chicken pox, perform surgery and ease the pain of dying seniors. For many years, these general practitioners were the only source of medical care available. Today, these general practitioners are known as family practice physicians.
As medical knowledge and technology expanded to the point where it became impractical for every physician to have the latest training in every medical discipline, many physicians began choosing to limit their practices to specific, defined specialties. In the two decades following the World War II, the number of specialists and sub-specialists increased at an astounding rate, while the number of generalists declined dramatically. Gradually, however, the public became increasingly vocal about the fragmentation of their care and the shortage of physicians who could provide initial, continuing and comprehensive care for every member of the family.
Thus began the reorientation of medicine back to personal, primary care. Ironically, the concept of the "generalist "was reborn with the establishment of family medicine as medicine's twentieth specialty.
Like many specialties, family medicine incorporates (1) knowledge, (2) skill and (3) process. Although knowledge and skill may be shared with other specialties, it is the third item above - the family medicine process - which is unique. At the center of this process is the patient-physician relationship, with the patient viewed in the context of the family. It is the extent to which this inter-relationship is developed and maintained that distinguishes a family practice job from all other physician jobs in medicine.
Serving as the gatekeeper for the patient's entry into the health care system, the family physician's function is the healthcare systems' first point of contact. This puts the family medicine physician in a unique position to form a bond with their patient. The family physician's job is both personal and comprehensive never limited by the patient's sex, age or problem.
This care is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, emphasizing disease prevention and health promotion. If a referral to another physician is necessary, the family physician refers the patient to other specialists or caregivers but remains the overall coordinator of the patient's health care. This prevents confusion and mistakes in both the outpatient and inpatient settings.
The family physician serves as the patient's advocate in dealing with other medical professionals, third party payers, employers and the world at large. As such, the family medicine physician serves as a governor over rising healthcare costs.
Geographic areas and other socioeconomic factors can determine the knowledge and skills required for a family physician job beyond the basic knowledge. The knowledge and skills usefull to a family physician practicing in an inner city will vary from those needed by a family physician with a rural practice.
The patient-physician relationship is central to the family medicine job and distinguishes family practice from other specialties. To sum it up, the family practice job today is rooted in the historical traditions keeping the specialty patient-focused and unbound by age, sex or malady.
As medical knowledge and technology expanded to the point where it became impractical for every physician to have the latest training in every medical discipline, many physicians began choosing to limit their practices to specific, defined specialties. In the two decades following the World War II, the number of specialists and sub-specialists increased at an astounding rate, while the number of generalists declined dramatically. Gradually, however, the public became increasingly vocal about the fragmentation of their care and the shortage of physicians who could provide initial, continuing and comprehensive care for every member of the family.
Thus began the reorientation of medicine back to personal, primary care. Ironically, the concept of the "generalist "was reborn with the establishment of family medicine as medicine's twentieth specialty.
Like many specialties, family medicine incorporates (1) knowledge, (2) skill and (3) process. Although knowledge and skill may be shared with other specialties, it is the third item above - the family medicine process - which is unique. At the center of this process is the patient-physician relationship, with the patient viewed in the context of the family. It is the extent to which this inter-relationship is developed and maintained that distinguishes a family practice job from all other physician jobs in medicine.
Serving as the gatekeeper for the patient's entry into the health care system, the family physician's function is the healthcare systems' first point of contact. This puts the family medicine physician in a unique position to form a bond with their patient. The family physician's job is both personal and comprehensive never limited by the patient's sex, age or problem.
This care is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, emphasizing disease prevention and health promotion. If a referral to another physician is necessary, the family physician refers the patient to other specialists or caregivers but remains the overall coordinator of the patient's health care. This prevents confusion and mistakes in both the outpatient and inpatient settings.
The family physician serves as the patient's advocate in dealing with other medical professionals, third party payers, employers and the world at large. As such, the family medicine physician serves as a governor over rising healthcare costs.
Geographic areas and other socioeconomic factors can determine the knowledge and skills required for a family physician job beyond the basic knowledge. The knowledge and skills usefull to a family physician practicing in an inner city will vary from those needed by a family physician with a rural practice.
The patient-physician relationship is central to the family medicine job and distinguishes family practice from other specialties. To sum it up, the family practice job today is rooted in the historical traditions keeping the specialty patient-focused and unbound by age, sex or malady.
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