What is Family Medicine?
Family Medicine Physician in Dearborn, MI
Family medicine is a subspecialty of primary care, accountable for providing individuals and their families with day-to-day health care needs. In the 1960s, family medicine developed due to the general practitioner movement, which occurred in response to the growing level of specialization in medicine that was seen as a threat to the importance of the continuity of care provided by the doctor-patient relationship.
The specialty of family medicine was built around the notion of community and family. The focus is treating the patient, as opposed to just examining their disease or illness. Consequently, family physicians are trained with the intent to be able to deal with the entire spectrum of medical issues that members of a family may encounter.
Family medicine is considered a three-dimensional specialty, incorporating knowledge, skill, and process or management. This specialty integrates biological, clinical, and behavioral sciences to provide continuing and comprehensive health care to patients. Unlike other specialties, this one encompasses care for all genders, races, and ages 12 and up, examining each organ system and every disease that can affect an individual’s “whole” being – meaning mind, body, and spirit.
Family physicians are primary care physicians (PCPs), accountable for addressing a large majority of people’s personal health care needs. While there are similarities between family medicine and other primary care specialties, family physicians have an unprecedented opportunity to have an impact on the health of an individual over that person's entire lifetime, from birth to adulthood.
Their philosophy of care always aims to reflect the patient-physician relationship, with the patient viewed in the context of family. Family physicians play a fundamental role in the continuum of care, as they are responsible for bringing the physician-patient relationship to the forefront, ensuring patient-centered care.
The World Health Organization attributes the delivery of essential high-quality care as an integral component of a comprehensive health care strategy. Primary care involves the widest scope of health care, including patients of all socioeconomic and geographic origins, patients that are 12 years of age or older, patients seeking to maintain optimal health, and patients with all manner of acute and chronic physical, mental, and social health issues, including the presence of one or more chronic diseases.
Consequently, a primary care physician (PCP) must possess a broad range of knowledge in many areas. Continuity is a key characteristic of primary care, as patients usually prefer to consult the same practitioner for all their health care needs, including routine check-ups, preventive care, health education, disease management, and every time they require care for a new health problem. Collaboration among providers is a desirable characteristic of family medicine, as they can refer individuals to other specialists for further treatment if necessary.
Dr. Sham Juratli is a true family physician in the fields of family medicine and occupational medicine. Since the specialty of family medicine was developed in the 1960s, Dr. Sham has adopted this philosophy of care within her own practice. For patients suffering from disease, illness, and struggling to obtain overall wellness, Dr. Sham provides her patients and their families with access to high-quality and compassionate patient-centered primary care, striving to improve their overall wellness and quality of life. She believes that being a knowledgeable, caring, and accessible doctor should be the standard in primary care.
Contact Our Family Practice Today!
To learn more about family medicine, call Dr. Sham Juratli at (313) 451-8253 to request an appointment with Dr. Sham, or you can use our secure online appointment request form.
