What Is Family Medicine?: A Complete Guide

Over 80% of adults have had contact with a primary care doctor in the past year, while over 90% of children have.

If you unexpectedly get a bad cough, infection, or another ailment, your family doctor can usually get you in for treatment quickly. This will cut down on any missed work or school for your children.

So, what is family medicine exactly? Keep reading to learn more!

What Is Family Medicine?

A family medicine physician is somebody who’s qualified to provide general treatment for all types of ailments.

With family medicine, you will typically start with your physician if you’re experiencing some sort of pain or illness. For example, if you have a sore throat, your physician will take note of your symptoms, look at the affected area, and prescribe a treatment based on what they find.

If they feel that you have strep throat, they will prescribe an antibiotic and create a treatment plan for your recovery. If you were to consistently experience trouble with your throat and none of the family medicine physician’s treatment plans seem to be helping, then they will refer you to a specialist.

A family physician is the one that is aware of all the basic issues and challenges that exist within a family. In other words, they know about the past medical history and any other specificities that exist. Some family members might have a medical condition like Dysphagia where they are unable to swallow medications like everyone else. In such instances, the family physician will be able to diagnose a swallowing gel to help overcome the problem.

Family medicine is a stepping stone for being referred to a specialist if you’re experiencing a unique problem. Also, if you’re experiencing a common problem, your family physician will most likely be able to help by prescribing an antibiotic or treatment plan.

People of all ages, from children to seniors, are able to see a family doctor.

What Will Your Family Practice Doctor Do?

There are a variety of steps your family practice doctor will take to help you with pain or illness you may have.

Here are some of them:

Offer Long-Term Care

When it comes to routine physicals or accepting treatment for a recurring problem, having the same doctor is important.

For example, if your doctor knows you well, they may be able to point out a new mole on your back that you were unaware of. Spotting the mole will allow them to refer you to a dermatologist so you can make sure the mole isn’t cancerous.

Having the same family doctor will allow you and your family members to build trust around your care. While it’s best to use the same doctor, don’t be afraid to switch family doctors if you’re unsatisfied with your care.

Offer Guidance With Care

If you’re experiencing issues with your health, it can be overwhelming to try to figure out what the next step should be.

For example, if you’re getting migraines, you may not know which specialist to start with since migraines are so versatile. Your family doctor can help you set up a plan by referring you to the necessary specialists.

So, they may refer you to a neurologist for testing and to try medication. If that doesn’t work, they may refer you to an eye doctor to see if you need glasses. Or, they may send you to an allergist to rule out allergies as the cause of the migraines.

Working with a family doctor helps to take a little bit of the stress and responsibility of your treatment plan off of your shoulders. Also, your doctor may have specialists in mind that you have never heard of that offer the best care.

Navigating the Health Care Field for Patients

The health care field can be confusing for patients.

Only certain types of insurance are accepted at certain offices. Also, you may be responsible for a co-pay even if you do have insurance. All the fees and information related to insurance and billing may be confusing for you, however, many family medicine offices have a receptionist or other team member that can walk you through this process.

Plus, your family medicine doctor is able to forward any necessary records to a specialist so you can make sure they have enough information to move forward with a treatment plan.

Seeing the Whole Picture

One quality family medicine doctors have that makes them stand out from the rest is the fact that your entire family can receive care in one place.

So, you, your little ones, and your elderly parents can all receive care from the same place. This makes it easier for working parents to schedule routine visits at the same time. For example, if it’s the time of year where you and your child need to get physicals, you can schedule them for the same time so you don’t have to take additional time off of work.

In addition to the convenience that seeing a family medicine doctor offers, this may help the care of you and your family members. For example, if you, your spouse, and your children are all experiencing strange rashes or bumps, a doctor may be able to uncover that there’s something in your house causing this.

Or, if everybody is experiencing severe allergies at the same time, your doctor may determine that you and your family members are allergic to something in your home.

Finding a Family Medicine Doctor

Choosing a family medicine doctor is a big step, as this person is responsible for the care of your entire family.

Plus, the relationship will ideally be a long-term one. So, before choosing a family physician, ask these questions:

• Do you accept my insurance?
• How long does it typically take to get an appointment?
• Are there on-call/emergency hours?
• What is your plan for your patients if you’re taking time off of work?
• What hospital do you go through?
• Is there a lab built into the office?

Understanding what your potential doctor’s availability looks like as well as details like labs and hours are essential for making the most educated choice.

Are You Ready to See a Family Doctor?

A family doctor is a great way to form a long-term relationship in your health care.

Plus, many parents prefer to have their children at the same office as them. So, what is family medicine? Family medicine is primary care for all ages.

If you found this article helpful, check out our other health tips!