Family Medicine

Family medicine, also known as family practice, is the medical specialty in which clinicians or practitioners provide comprehensive, patient-centered primary health care to patients and their families. Practitioners who practice family medicine can provide routine wellness care, such as physical exams or preventative care, to patients, regardless of age, gender, health or social status. They are also trained to know about many areas of medicine so that they are equipped to treat a wide variety of conditions.

Family practices often staff a team of professionals that can help provide a continuity of care to patients, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants and others.

There is often a great need for family clinicians in medically underserved communities where patients have limited access to hospitals and specialists, such as rural areas or overseas. Members of these communities may suffer from low health literacy and more chronic conditions. Additionally, they may have access to fewer resources, underscoring the importance of compassionate, well-trained family clinician that can reach them in the patient's choice of setting. This is the advantage of Telehealth medicine and Telehealth services. We meet you at your convenience via your smartphone, telephone or computer.

The Purpose of Family Medicine

The goal of the family medicine specialty is to provide continual, comprehensive care to an individual. Family medicine advocates believe that seeing many different specialists can sometimes result in fragmented care.

But clinicians who practice family medicine are trained in providing coordination of care and will refer patients to specialists when necessary. Frequently, they can also provide information about other community resources or health services.

Some of the services that family clinicians offer may include:

Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of chronic disease
Immediate care for sudden and serious illness or injury
Routine physical exams as well as sports clearance physical exams
Vaccination recommendations for your age
Preventative medicine by ordering cancer screening tests or referring you to a specialists to screen for a specific cancer risk.

Family clinicians may also be trained in subspecialties, such as:

Adolescent medicine
Obstetric medicine
Geriatric medicine
Hospice and palliative medicine
Sports medicine
Sleep medicine
Mental health

The Benefits of Family Medicine

Clinicians who practice family medicine can treat patients regardless of age, gender, social status or health issue. Having a family clinician or practitioner allows all members of the family, from infancy to an elderly age, to see the same practitioner. This enables the practitioner to develop a trusting and genuine personal relationship with the family, which can result in better care.

A Family Practitioner who cares for a family over a period of years may also be able to provide better guidance about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially if the Practitioner knows the family's medical history firsthand or has seen patterns of health problems. By adapting lifestyle changes and new health habits, patients may be able to avoid costly medications or procedures.

Family Practitioners are equipped to treat chronic disease, ongoing health needs or other conditions and can help a patient develop a personalized, cost-effective treatment plan.

The practitioner most commonly found in underserved areas are those who practice family medicine. Family medicine practitioners can help create a health care system with an emphasis on equitable care that is accessible to and affordable for all patients.

Additional Resources

Routine labs

A complete blood count, or CBC, is a blood test used to measure the number of blood cells in the body and the ratio of one type of blood cell to another in the bloodstream.This information is invaluable in assessing the overall health of the patient and in diagnosing various infections, diseases or disorders. It provides specific information about the following:

Diet and Exercise

Developing a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen are equally important. Many people only consider improving their diet and exercise routine when they want to lose weight. Diet and exercise, however, should not be forgotten once weight loss goals are achieved since they are important health factors even in individuals who are at an optimal weight.

Strep Throat

The most common symptoms of strep throat are a painful sore throat and fever, however additional symptoms may include:

Blood Pressure Control

Employment Physicals

Many employers require an employment physical to determine the suitability of an individual for a job. A pre-employment physical exam may be requested to ensure new hires are physically capable of performing their work and meet general health standards. Employment examinations may include physical examinations, health inquiries, psychological tests, drug testing, and mental health assessments. These exams compare the health of the potential employee with the expected demands of the job, to ensure that the individual is fit to do the job.

Flu Vaccination

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious virus that appears seasonally. It spreads from person to person and can cause mild to severe illness. Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. For some people, the flu can lead to serious complications, and possibly even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized annually from flu-related complications. Flu season may start as early as October and usually subsides by May.

Vaccinations

Many diseases that caused serious illness and even death in the past are rare today because of routine immunizations. For example; Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a potentially dangerous infection of the respiratory tract. It is extremely contagious and can produce a severe cough that can last for weeks and may make breathing difficult. Pertussis can lead to pneumonia and be fatal in some cases.

Food Allergies

A food allergy is present when the immune system has an abnormal reaction to proteins in a particular food. Food-allergy symptoms, which can be triggered by ingesting even minute amounts of the food, usually happen within minutes but may, occasionally, happen a few hours later. Food allergies can begin in childhood or in adulthood, with some people suddenly having allergic responses to foods that have never caused problems. In other cases, allergies appear after a food is consumed for the first time. Certain food allergies that affect young children may eventually go away.

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is produced by the liver, the intestines and nearly all tissues in the body. Cholesterol is needed for the production of hormones, vitamin D and the bile necessary to digest the fats in food. Cholesterol also protects cell membranes from changes in temperature. While a certain amount of cholesterol is needed, too much cholesterol is unhealthy. An excessive amount of cholesterol can block blood flow in the arteries. This lack of blood flow can lead to a stroke. While there are no symptoms of high cholesterol, a simple blood test can provide patients with results. Cholesterol levels can be controlled or reduced with an active and healthy lifestyle. In some cases, medication may be necessary to control high levels of...

Medical Laboratory Testing

Laboratories are a vital part of the world of medicine since modern medical laboratories do important diagnostic work for specialists in every medical field. While many medical laboratories do a variety of tests, some laboratories specialize in particular types of testing.

Routine Physical Exam

A routine physical exam is recommended at least once each year for patients of all ages. This complete medical examination allows the doctor to evaluate the patient's overall health and detect any illnesses or medical conditions in the early stages. Early detection of a disease may result in more effective treatment. An annual physical examination helps individuals to address any health issues and allows the doctor to give recommendations for healthy living and preventative care.

Sleep Disorders in Children

Many children suffer from sleep disorders that prevent them from getting a sufficient amount of sleep. Sleep disorders and insufficient amounts of sleep in children, can affect brain development, cause behavioral problems, and impact the overall quality of life for children and their families. Sleep problems can also cause anxiety and depression in children. In some cases, sleep deprived children may show hyperactive or inattentive behavior during the day, instead of tiredness. These children are sometimes misdiagnosed and treated for attention deficit hyperactive disorders, when the actual problem is a sleep disorder.

Sports Physicals

A sports physical exam, also known as a preparticipation physical examination (PPE), is a thorough medical examination that determines whether or not it is safe for an athlete to participate in a particular sport. The purpose of a PPE is to prevent as many injuries and medical emergencies on the court or playing field as possible Sports physicals are often required for children and teens before they are allowed to join a team sport and are usually repeated before each season. PPEs are required by most state governments as well.

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