In today’s world, modernisation fills every aspect of human life. The introduction of new technology and changes in how humans perform their activities usually set the trend for modernisation. Several vital discoveries occur in medicine, coupled with changes in how medical practitioners perform their duties. One of the emerging areas of concern is family medicine.
Family Medicine, abbreviated as FM, is a speciality that focuses on the intense or comprehensive treatment of people of all ages. Family practice doctors and physicians perform family medicine and differ from conventional doctors in how they treat their patients. In the United States, family medicine is known as General Practice. The individual in charge of treating patients for acute or chronic diseases is known as a General Practice Doctor, abbreviated as GP.
A three-dimensional speciality, family medicine includes knowledge, skills, and method. The process part is concerned with the doctor-patient connection and the patient’s integrated care. Family doctors care for all genders and conditions, unlike other doctors whose specialities are restricted to a particular disease, gender, or organ.
Idealistically, family medicine may be traced back to the treatment of patients following World War II to bring about a dynamic transition from the practice of general medicine to the delivery of individualised, high-quality healthcare to individuals from all walks of life. Family physicians are now in charge of delivering healthcare services to residents of rural and urban areas, proving that the initiative, launched in 1969, has succeeded over time.
Family doctors undergo intensive training to guarantee that they can provide comprehensive care for patients of all ages. Family medicine doctors have the opportunity to learn how to treat illnesses in the following six primary medical specialities through the residency programme established after they graduate from medical school: psychiatry and neurology, internal medicine, community medicine, surgery, and obstetrics gynaecology. Once they have the necessary expertise, family doctors can work with experts to organise treatment for patients with certain conditions.
In addition to diagnosing and treating illnesses, family doctors also offer preventative care in family medicine. The breadth of preventive maintenance is enormous. It includes information on routine checkups, immunisations, screening tests, health risk assessments, and suggestions for leading a good, healthy lifestyle.
Family medicine belongs to the larger category of medical treatment known as primary care. Primary care, according to the Institute of Medicine, is “the delivery of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are responsible for the addressing a substantial portion of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practising in the context of family and community.” Paediatrics and general internal medicine are additional primary care specialities. Consequently, family doctors and other medical professionals are included in the larger class of primary care doctors known as family care physicians.
Family medicine associates are on the point of having a long-term effect on a patient’s health, even if there are certain parallels between them and other primary care doctors. Like family medicine, primary care aims to provide patient-centred treatment rather than doctor-centred care. Preventing chronic illnesses from being treated when they could have been treated in their acute phases; this action has contributed to achieving remarkable health outcomes.
