Family medicine is an indispensable part of primary health care. Your physician is often the first port of call whenever you or any member of your family needs to consult a medical practitioner.
Apart from attending to your immediate health concerns, your doctor also acts as a custodian of your medical history. Primary care ensures that serious health problems like cancer are detected at an early stage and treatment commences in earnest.
In cases where you need the help of a specialist, your general practice doctor (GP) is usually the one to make relevant recommendations. Indeed, the importance of a primary care physician cannot be overstated, and here are 5 key benefits of family practice.
#1: Family Medicine is a Lifelong Practice:
Another benefit of family medicine is that it is a lifelong primary care practice. Your GP stays with you all through your lifetime treating you for a variety of health issues.
You have physicians that may be involved in the healthcare of your family from before you had children to when your kids become fully grown adults. Family practice builds trust between the doctor and members of your family, a relationship that lasts a lifetime.
#2: A Thorough Knowledge of Your Personal and Family Medical History:
As mentioned earlier, your physician is fully aware of both your personal and family medical history. This is particularly important because it makes it easier for your doctor to make precise diagnoses.
When your family doctor is fully aware of your medical history, he or she is able to spot any red flags with regards to your health and/or use of prescription medication.
Your family doctor’s knowledge of your history will also be of use if you’re ever in a car accident. In that situation, you would also need a legal firm like Epstein Law Firm.
#3: Family Medicine is Holistic in Nature:
Having a GP is not all about having a doctor to supervise your annual check-up. Your family doctor can also be a viable resource for the treatment and management of severe health problems. GPs can help you in managing chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and HIV/AIDS.
#4: GPs Recommend the Right Specialists:
For health issues requiring specialist doctors, your physician will be on hand to point you in the right direction. The relationship built over time with your GP ensures that he or she will refer you to specialists that will not only provide good treatment, but will also be perfectly suited to your personality and needs.
#5: Family Practice Saves Money:
Regular checkups with your family physician can save you money in both the short and long-run. The early detection and treatment of ailments can greatly reduce the risk of an escalation of the health problem. This also saves you money, as the more severe an illness is, the more money you are likely to spend on treatment.
Conclusion
For many people, all they need for most of their lives is a GP. As a matter of fact, physicians can help in performing minor surgical operations like the draining of abscess, the freezing of warts, removal of skin tags, and so on.
Pregnant women can rely on their family physician for support and guidance all through the length of their pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. General practitioners can also provide pediatrician care after delivery which further strengthens their relevance and importance to the family unit.