Primary care physicians fall into one of two categories: family medicine doctors and internal medicine doctors. The most significant difference between the two is internal medicine doctors care for adults. A family practitioner is a pediatrician and internal doctor combined into one specialty. They can care for both children and adults. A lot of family physicians care for an entire family. However, a family practitioner can take care of an individual adult regardless of the family status. Regardless of your age, it is important to develop a relationship with your physician.
Family physicians pay close attention to their patients’ lives. They are very family and community-based doctors. While there are the similarities between family medicine and other primary care specialties, the family physicians have a special opportunity to have an impact of the health of an individual patient throughout that patient’s lifetime. By possessing unique attitudes, skills, and knowledge, they can develop a strong relationship with a patient and their family and provide the comprehensive medical care to each member of the family.
Throughout a family physicians’ training, they participate in integrated inpatient and outpatient care. As part of their residency, they receive training in six major medical areas: pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, psychiatry and neurology, surgery, and community medicine. They also are trained in geriatrics, emergency medicine, ophthalmology, radiology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, and urology. Family physicians are more than qualified to help you and your family’s healthcare needs. They are the only qualified specialists to provide comprehensive health care from newborns to seniors.
The cornerstone of family medicine is an ongoing personal patient to physician relationship focused on integrated care. Your family physician is trained to look at the whole person rather than one specific organ system.
Many trends are occurring throughout years of family practice:
- A lot of family physicians are leaving private practices for hospitals. There can be more of a financial risk for a physician that works for a private practice versus working for a hospital.
- Fewer family physicians are seeing children patients now than they used. A portion of children’s health care being provided by family practices has declined significantly.
- Family physicians are not seeing and taking care as many pregnant women as they used too. The number may continue to decline as more doctors take employed positions that are specifically for pregnancies.
Conflicts within family practice medicine have also occurred throughout the years:
- Family physicians have had to fight turf battles within hospitals over privileges with internists, pediatricians, and gynecologists.
- Hospital departments for family practices are not fully staffed.
- Some physicians in other hospital departments are refusing to consult with family physicians.
Even though conflicts and changes have been made to family practices, they are always dedicated to treating the whole person and family. It will always be kept as a personal patient-physician relationship focusing on dedicated healthcare. In addition to diagnosing and treating illnesses, family physicians also provide preventive care. This includes routine checkups, health-risk assessments, immunization and screening tests, and personalized counseling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Family physicians stay with you throughout your lifetime and are dedicated to you.
At Gonzaba Medical Group in San Antonio, we offer complete family medical care under one roof! You can entrust your family with us because we are dedicated to primary care medicine. We have an outstanding team of physicians who share the same commitment to quality care and customer service as the founder of Gonzaba Medical Group. Our services include routine care, physicals, physical medicine and rehab, chronic illnesses, urgent care, laboratory services, disease management, patient education, and radiology services. Our primary care is also comprised of preventative care, wellness care, and well-woman care. Our gynecological exams include pap smears, mammograms, osteoporosis screenings, and other care regimes for women. We are dedicated to our patients and always believe that they come first.
If you are interested in using our primary care services with family physicians, visit our website and book an appointment today!