Transcript Family Medicine

Family Medicine and
Reach Out and Read
Information, facts and answers to
frequently asked questions about
family medicine
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A snapshot of Primary Care
Source: DA, Cherry DK. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2002 Summary. Advance
Data from Vital and Health Statistics; No. 346, Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health
Statistics. 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/ahcd/officevisitcharts.htm .
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What do family physicians do?
Family physicians provide comprehensive and
continuous primary care health care to:
 individuals and families
 women and men regardless of age or disease
 infants, children and adolescents regardless of
disease
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Family physicians provide
 Prevention & management of acute injuries and
illnesses
 Health promotion
 Hospital care for acute medical illnesses
 Chronic disease management
 Maternity care
 Well-child care and child development
 Primary mental health care
 Rehabilitation
 Supportive and end of life care
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What distinguishes family physicians
from general internists?
Ambulatory care visits by men to primary care
physicians -2001
40.0%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
Family Medicine
Internal Medicine
Under 18
18-44 years 45-64 years 65 year and
over
Ambulatory care visits by women to primary care
physicians - 2001
Ages and
gender of
patients seen
by family
physicians and
general
internists
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
Fam ily Medicine
15.0%
Internal Medicine
10.0%
5.0%
Source:
National Ambulatory
Medical Care
Survey:2002
0.0%
Under 18
18-44
years
45-64
years
65 year
and over
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What FP attributes are valued?
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Deep understanding of the whole person
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Act as a partner to patients over many years
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Talent for humanizing health care

A command of complexity
Source:
Martin JC, Avant RF, Bowman MA, et al. The Future of Family Medicine: A
collaborative project of the family medicine community. Ann Fam Med. 2004 MarApri; 2 Suppl 1:53-32
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Family physicians’ whole-person orientation
and training ensures that FPs…
 Consider all of the influences on a person’s
health
 Know and understand peoples’ limitations,
problems and personal beliefs when deciding
on a treatment
 Are appropriate and efficient in proposing
therapies and interventions
 Develop rewarding relationships with patients
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Family physicians are
relationship-oriented,
which ensures…
 Good relationships with other physicians and
health care providers.
 Better patient understanding of complex
medical issues and improved participation in
the care process.
 Less expensive and better healthcare
experience for patient.
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How are family physicians trained?
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3 years
More than 400 family medicine residencies
Community-based
Medical school-based
Military
Inner-city
Urban
Suburban
Rural
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Percentage of Children’s Office Visits
by Specialty
Sources:
National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, 1992-2002
AAFP Task Force On the Care of Children, 2005
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Where do family physicians
practice?
Current PCHPSAs
Without FPs
Source: Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Practice and
Primary Care. http://www.graham-center.org/
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ROR Expansion to FM
Increase the numbers of Family doctors
doing ROR
Endorsement by the AAFP
Collaboration with Family Literacy efforts
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