| Focus | Primary care, preventive healthcare |
|---|---|
| Significant diseases | Hypertension, URTI, arthritis, diabetes, mental health, pneumonia, AOM, back pain, dermatitis[1] |
| Specialist | Family physician |
 Family physician (right) reviewing a case with nurse (left) in clinic | |
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Names | Physician |
| Synonym | Family doctor |
Occupation type | Specialty |
Activity sectors | Medicine |
| Description | |
Education required |
|
Fields of employment | Hospitals, clinics, emergency departments, long-term care |
Family medicine[note 1] is a medical specialty within primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body.[2][3] The specialist, who is usually a primary care physician, is named a family physician.[note 2] It is often referred to as general practice and a practitioner as a general practitioner. Historically, their role was once performed by any doctor with qualifications from a medical school and who works in the community. However, since the 1950s, family medicine / general practice has become a specialty in its own right, with specific training requirements tailored to each country.[4][5][6] The names of the specialty emphasize its holistic nature and/or its roots in the family. It is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, focusing on disease prevention and health promotion.[7] According to the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), the aim of family medicine is "promoting personal, comprehensive and continuing care for the individual in the context of the family and the community".[8] The issues of values underlying this practice are usually known as primary care ethics.
- ^ Finley, Caitlin R.; Chan, Derek S.; Garrison, Scott; Korownyk, Christina; Kolber, Michael R.; Campbell, Sandra; Eurich, Dean T.; Lindblad, Adrienne J.; Vandermeer, Ben; Allan, G. Michael (November 2018). "What are the most common conditions in primary care?". Canadian Family Physician. 64 (11): 832–840. ISSN 0008-350X. PMC 6234945. PMID 30429181.
- ^ "Definitions and Policies". American Board of Family Medicine. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
- ^ "Family Medicine Specialty Description". American Medical Association. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ Gandevia, B. (1971). "A history of general practice in australia". Canadian Family Physician. 17 (10): 51–61. PMC 2370185. PMID 20468689.
- ^ "A oral history of general practice - homepage". personal.rhul.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ^ Simon, Chantal (2009). "From Generalism to Specialty—A Short History of General Practice". Innovait: Education and Inspiration for General Practice. 2: 2–9. doi:10.1093/innovait/inn171. S2CID 72934495.
- ^ "Definitions, What is Family Medicine?". American Academy of Family Physicians. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ^ "Global Family Doctor". Wonca Online. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012.
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