Generally, physicians specialize in treating a specific disease or managing a particular organ in the body. However, there are those that deals with you as a whole person and are often referred as family practice doctor. A family physician is a trained and qualified doctor whose line of operation is to treat, care, and counsel an individual regardless of sex, age or religion. In addition, they possess medical skills in internal medicine, paediatrics, gynecology, geriatrics among others. Apart from just conducting diagnosis and treating various medical diseases, your family doctor is tasked to evaluate your wellness needs and offer guidance through healthy lifestyle habits. This is aimed at countering illnesses before they develop.

In case you develop a health condition that demands the attention of another specialist, the family practitioners will help you get the right medical care by coordinating every aspect of your care. Having a family doctor gives you a better chance of urgent medical care.

Normally, a family practice doctor undergoes a three-post graduate training in a hospital setting. Within this period, the skills acquired by this physicians are applied in treating patients in the office, hospital and even at home. Furthermore, they are updated with modern treatments and medical technologies to offer effective and efficient everyday care for patients with different health conditions.

But essentially, what are the main roles of a family doctor?

Preventive Care
Since family practice doctors are your primary care physicians, their major role is to educate patients in proper health management as well as prevention techniques. Their support doesn’t end at the physical level, but they also help in managing your emotional needs. Common practices family physicians handle include stress management, proper dieting, fertility test and physical fitness and wellness.

Daily Health Concerns
If you are experiencing uncommon body symptoms like the flu or some infection, a family practice doctor is your immediate help. The doctor will perhaps conduct several tests on you and prescribe medication if your condition demands it. Basically, this doctor may be of great assistance if your child needs immunizations or if you have any common health complaint.

Managing Chronic Illness
Conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other terminal diseases usually demand the skills and knowledge of a family physician. They are good at delivering ongoing treatments and constant management of life-threatening ailments. In most cases, a family physician will advise on the best treatment plan for your case, and they can also recommend alternative care approaches.

The services you’ll get from a family practice doctor is often close to none. This is someone that understand you need inside out, and therefore, it’s necessary to establish a good and lasting relationship.