ABSTRACT
Compared with other medical disciplines, academic general practice has a very short history. The term 'general practice' is generally synonymous with family medicine, and likewise 'general practitioner' with 'family doctor' or 'family physician'. The general scope is the holistic approach of caring for individuals and their families in the community, treating patients of both genders of all ages with every disease entity. While the terms 'primary care' and 'primary healthcare' are often used interchangeably, 'primary care' applies to general practice-type services delivered to patients and their families, whereas 'primary healthcare' has a broader meaning, including service delivery, inter-sectorial collaboration to address the social determinants of health and community participation. Primary care is not just medical care, as it is delivered by doctors, nurses, clinical officers, community health workers, community pharmacists and a number of other front-line and allied health professionals.
