Doctors have the option of choosing from a whole host of different fields. Family medicine, however, is a specialty that equips doctors with the knowledge and ability needed for the purpose of treating most ailments. This is why a family medicine physician can also be a primary care physician.
Family Medicine Explained
There are quite a number of vague definitions and explanations when it comes to explaining what family medicine really is. However, in order to truly understand it, there is a need to zoom in on the ethos of the field, and to focus on the core of the discipline to understand what it truly stands for. There are some features that particularly stand out when it comes to this specific field, and they can be helpful in laying down its characteristics. Family medicine is a field that is holistic, and through its holistic approach is able to offer patients treatments that have a comprehensive scope, while being centered on the patients themselves. Further, it isn’t a field that is restricted to the delivery of services to any individual group or category, rather it has quite a broad scope and can provide continuity of care, as well as services that are family-oriented, as opposed to individual-oriented. Quite an extensive range of services are covered under this category such as endoscopies, colonoscopies, musco-skeletal injections, vasectomy, skin procedures, family planning, and even evaluation as well as management of early pregnancy.
Is Family Medicine the same as Internal Medicine?
When it comes down to these two disciplines, there is often considerable confusion whether they are one and the same. However, it ought to be understood that family medicine and internal medicine have some stark differences between them, which can easily be used to distinguish the two. First off, the two have progressed from very diverse histories. The former grew or progressed from the general practitioner role, and finds its historic basis around the concept of a social unit. However, the latter focuses solely on grown-ups or adults. Internal medicine revolves around medical conditions that are more general as well as common.
Benefits of Family Medicine
There are a range of benefits that arise from the mentioned field. First and foremost, this is one field or specialty that allows the nurturing of a meaningful relationship between the doctor and patient. The reason being that this goes further than just your annual checkup. Quite an extensive list of activities or services fall under this overall category which means more interaction. Furthermore, rather than having just a primary care physician, an annual checkup or simply an internal medicine specialist, going to a family physician means the provision of care for all family members. This can come in handy especially if any one member develops a chronic condition, in which case the primary care physician and the family physician can provide better care in terms of offering support as well as devising a treatment plan.
Sources:
Pacific Medical Centers
https://www.pacificmedicalcenters.org/physician-articles/benefits-of-family-medicine/
AAFP
https://www.aafp.org/about/dive-into-family-medicine/family-medicine-speciality.html
cleveland Clinic
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-reasons-you-should-have-a-family-doctor/