Family Medicine: It's All About Relationships
When it comes to medical requirements, every member of any family shares a similarity: a family care doctor.
Such doctors work hard to maintain good overall health throughout the family, covering a wide variety of medical needs along the way. Because family doctors treat each member for such a long span of time, they often seem like a member of the family themselves.
Using their knowledge of each family's history, family physicians take care of the physical, mental and emotional health of their patients throughout all stages of their lives. They are trained in all areas of medicine, and they diagnose and treat a wide range of problems. In many instances, family doctors serve as the patient's entry point into the health care system, and are the first medical professionals people call when ill or injured.
When a patient requires the services of another specialized doctor, family physicians can recommend, or refer, patients to other specialists or caregivers. In these instances family doctors still play a vital role, usually serving as the patient's health coordinator to make sure information and care doesn't become fragmented.
Essentially, family physicians serve as their patients' advocates throughout all areas of health care, even if it means working with other medical professionals, employers or even insurance companies.
Training
Family medicine has a deep-rooted history across civilization. The very first physicians were general doctors who provided all medical care to the public. They diagnosed and treated illnesses, performed surgery, assisted the injured and even delivered babies.
Modern family physicians understand the most current technologies and know the most up-to-date treatments. Part of their training involves three years in a real practice setting, which includes treating patients in the office, hospital and home. Family doctors re-certify more than any other medical specialty while continuing their own education. This means they are able to apply the latest medical breakthroughs to their patients. Yet family physicians are specially trained in preventative medicine, following the belief that preventing a health problem is better than having to treat one.
Family practice is actually a three-tiered specialty, combining knowledge, skill and process. Although knowledge and skill may be shared with other specialties, the family medicine process is unique in that it is based on the patient-physician relationship. It is the extent to which this relationship is valued, developed, nurtured and maintained that sets family medicine apart from other specialties.
Finding the right family doctor
When looking for a family physician, it's often advantageous to get recommendations from friends and family. Then call the offices of the recommended doctors for further information about the issues that concern you the most.
Be sure to ask the following questions:
- Do they accept your insurance?
- What are the office hours?
- What hospital(s) does the doctor use?
- How many doctors are in the practice?
Once you find a doctor who matches your needs, schedule an appointment to meet in person. During this appointment, pay special attention to your feelings. Do you feel comfortable? Does he or she answer questions in a way that you can easily understand?
Vaccinations
Vaccinations (vaccines) protect you and your family against serious diseases by stimulating the immune system to create antibodies against certain bacteria or viruses. Following a vaccination schedule is one of the most important steps parents can take to help their children ward off diseases.
What do vaccines protect against?
Although vaccines can't protect children from minor illnesses like colds, they are very effective in keeping children safe from many serious diseases. Vaccines have been shown to protect against measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Hib disease, chickenpox, rotavirus and pneumococcal disease. How serious are some of these illnesses? In some cases they can be deadly. Pertussis, for example, is a particularly dangerous disease amongst infants. Nearly 30,000 cases were reported between 1997 and 2000, and 63 resulted in death. In 2003 alone, 11,647 cases and 18 deaths from pertussis were reported. Even the flu can take its toll on children. During the 2003-2004 influenza season, 152 influenza-related deaths amongst children 18 years of age or younger were reported across 40 states.
Are alternatives safe?
In one word: no.
Despite rumors, breastfeeding only offers temporary immunity against some minor infections like colds. It is not an effective means of protecting children from the specific diseases easily preventable by proper vaccinations.
Vitamins don't help in this regard, either. Some people go so far as to think that getting the "natural" disease is preferable to "artificial" vaccination. Because infection usually results in immunity, they argue that getting sick is, in a round-about way, an effective vaccination. This is the rationale behind so-called chickenpox "parties" - arrangements made between parents to insure their children are all exposed to chickenpox. But the consequences of getting the disease in the first place can include paralysis, retardation, liver cancer, deafness, blindness and even death.
Are Vaccines safe?
Vaccines are safe, and researchers are constantly working to make them even safer. Every vaccine undergoes multiple tests before being licensed, and its safety record is monitored as long as the drug is in use. Most vaccine side effects are minor, such as soreness where the injection was given or a low-grade fever. These do not last long and are easily treatable. Still, serious reactions are possible - albeit very, very rare. The miniscule risk of a serious vaccine reaction must be weighed against the very real risk of getting a dangerous vaccine-preventable disease.
Your family doctor can address any further questions you might have.
How many vaccinations does a baby need?
At least four visits are needed before your child reaches age 2, but they can be timed to coincide with regular check-ups. Your child should get the first vaccine, for hepatitis B, shortly after birth - usually while still in the hospital. Multiple visits throughout the first two years are necessary because there are 14 specific diseases your baby can effectively be immunized from, but most require several doses for optimal protection.
When should I take my child in for vaccines?
Your family physician or health care provider should give you a reminder when vaccinations are due, but his or her office will be happy to answer any questions if you're still not sure. Doses can't be given too close together or the immunity doesn't have time to build up. Conversely, if the immunizations fall behind schedule it can create unprotected time gaps.
What if I miss a shot?
A missed dosage doesn't mean the immunization process must start over. Instead, your health care provider will continue from where you left off. But the best way to avoid missed immunizations is to keep a personal record card (your provider can furnish this). This card tracks immunizations and dates, which makes scheduling easier. Personal record cards should be kept in a safe place but be sure to bring them along to office visits.
Is it too late to get immunized?
Not at all. Although it's preferable to begin immunization as an infant, it's never too late to start.
Information provided by The American Academy of Family Physician and the Immunization Action Coalition.