ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the nature of family medicine and how family doctors contribute to optimal primary health care systems. It focuses on the functions, roles, and effective clinical care provided by family doctors. The chapter looks at the quality of their work and their contributions within their many roles as health care providers, leaders, managers and supervisors, and overall coordinators of individual and community health care. The characteristics of family medicine are guided by a few fundamental concepts including a commitment to ongoing personal care (longitudinality), a comprehensive approach, and acceptance of all patients regardless of their gender, age, or type of health concern. Family doctors most frequently care for this rich mosaic of patients in community-based, ambulatory practice settings. The general practitioner/family physician is the physician who is primarily responsible for providing first contact and comprehensive health care to every individual seeking medical care and advice, and arranging for other health personnel to provide services when necessary.
