Specialising in family medicine
I am writing this article because I want the world to know about the beauty to be a real doctor. I am now doing the master in family medicine. I just came cross to a few people that think being the family medicine specialist is equal to another chronic medical officer. They even consider that family medicine specialist is just another doctor who is “master in nothing”. They have forgotten that family medicine specialist is a master in “family medicine”. That is the real meaning of being a doctor. And we are proud of being who we are.
I am sure that not many of us have read about the history of physician. How it starts and how they start it. Well, to make it simple, the first doctor had started his carrier as a family medicine. He treated patient as a whole, taking into consideration every aspect in that patient life, his family, his psychosocial, etc. He treated his patient like a family. He knows everything about him. And he did not only see him as a disease entity. But he saw him as a big picture, as a person. He still became the doctor to that man till he died. Can’t you see the beauty of a family physician? So respect them the way it should be.
Family Physicians are those who are educated and trained in family medicine. They possess the unique attitudes, skills and knowledge which qualify them to provide continuing and comprehensive medical care, health maintenance and preventive services to each member of family regardless the sex, age or type of problem, be it biological, behavioral or social. These specialists, because of their background and interactions with the family, are best qualified to serve as each patient’s advocate in all health-related matters, including appropriate use of consultants, health services and community resources.
Family physician…
…what defines us as family doctors is our longitudinal relationship with our patient
» DR Ian McWhinney – College of Family Physician of Canada
A little bit about the principle of family medicine:
• Family Medicine is the medical specialty which provides continuing, comprehensive health care for the individual and family. It is a specialty in breadth that integrates the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences.
• The scope of family medicine encompasses all ages, sexes, each organ system and every disease entity.
• The specialty is three dimensional, combining knowledge and skill with a unique process.
• Knowledge and skill may be shared with other specialties.
• The patient-physician relationship in the context of the family is central to this process and distinguishes family medicine from other specialties.
• The scope of family medicine is dynamic, expanding, and evolutionary.
• The provision of primary continuing comprehensive whole patient care to individuals, families and their community comprises:
Ø the ability to take responsible action on any problem the patient present, whether or not its form part of ongoing doctor-patient relationship
Ø takes appropriate referral to other doctors, health care professional and community services
Ø becomes the point of first contact for the majority of people seeking health care
Ø In the provision of care, much ill defined illness, often deals with the problem complexes rather than established disease.
Ø Ability to make a total assessment without subjecting patient to unnecessary investigation, procedure and treatment.
The nine features family physicians:
• Family physicians are committed to the person rather than particular body of knowledge, group of disease or special technique
• The family physician seeks to understand the context of illness
• The family physician sees every contact with his patient as an opportunity or prevention and/or health education
• The family physician views his or her practice as a population at risk
• The family physician sees his or herself as part of a community wide network of supportive and health care agencies
• Family physicians should share the same habitat as their patients
• The family physicians sees patients in their homes
• The family physician attaches importance to the subjective aspects of medicine
• The family physician is a manager of resources.
Attributes of Family Physician
• A strong sense of responsibility for total, ongoing care of the individuals and family during health, illness and rehabilitation
• Compassion and empathy with sincere interest in patient and the family
• A curious and constantly inquisitive attitude
• Enthusiasm for undifferentiated medical problem and its resolution
• An interest in the broad spectrum of clinical medicine
• The ability to deal comfortably with multiple problems occurring simultaneously in one patient
• A desire for frequent and varied intellectual and technical challenges.
• The ability to support children during growth and development and during their adjustment to family and society
• The ability to assist patients in coping with everyday problems and in maintaining stability in the family and community
• The capacity to act as coordinator of all health resources needed in the care of a patient.
• A continuing enthusiasm for learning and for the satisfaction that comes from maintaining current medical knowledge through continuing medical education.
• The ability to maintain composure in times of stress and compassion.
• A desire to identify problems at the earliest possible stage/to prevent disease entirely.
• A strong wish to maintain maximum patient satisfaction, recognizing the need for continuing patient rapport.
• The skills necessary to manage chronic illness and to ensure maximal rehabilitation following acute illness.
• An appreciation for the complex mix of physical, emotional and social element in holistic and personalized patient care
• A feeling of personal satisfaction derived from intimate relationships with patients that naturally developed over long periods of continuous care
Other related articles:
· Specializing in family medicine
· Principles of family medicine
· Types of primary care
Reference:
1. American Academy of Family Medicine
2. Malaysian Academy of Family Medicine
Tags: doctor patient relationship, family medicine, principle, psychosocial
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Good write up….i was actually looking for something like this one…