Family practice is the branch of medicine that provides primary health care to patients. Your trusted family practice Arlington experts diagnose, treat and manage various medical conditions in children, adults, and the elderly.
Family practitioners provide basic care for common illnesses and injuries such as colds, flu, diarrhea, infections, respiratory problems, and minor injuries. They also offer more complex treatments such as cancer screenings, prenatal care, dental care, and psychological counseling.
Here are the benefits of family practice.
Why is family practice important?
1. Improve overall health
The primary role of family practice is to improve overall health and well-being by providing care to children, adolescents, and adults. Family physicians can provide various preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative care services. These services may be delivered in various settings, including the home or office, and community settings, such as schools or long-term care facilities.
2. Improve access to care
The primary reason for family practices is to provide easy access to care. Family doctors work in teams with nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals to coordinate care for their patients. People with regular contact with their family doctors are more likely to be screened for conditions such as colorectal cancer or cardiovascular disease. They thus are more likely to receive early diagnosis and treatment for those diseases.
3. Help identify underlying health issues
The family practice focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of children and adults. They diagnose and treat conditions that affect the whole family, such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic conditions. They also provide treatment for common childhood illnesses such as strep throat or chicken pox.
What services should you expect from family practitioners?
Preventive Care: In addition to the yearly check-up that most people have, family physicians may offer immunizations, health screenings such as blood pressure or cholesterol tests, cancer screenings, screenings for high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and annual eye exams. Annual physicals are also an essential part of preventive care.
Diagnosis: Family practitioners may diagnose and treat acute illnesses such as ear infections, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, sinus infections, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, strep throat, skin rashes, and sore throats.
Educate patients on maintaining good health– They also can educate you about how to prevent future illness by maintaining good health habits, such as avoiding tobacco use and eating healthy foods at least five times a day.
Family planning services– Family physicians offer family planning services. This includes birth control methods such as hormonal methods, including the pill, patch, ring, IUDs, and tubal ligation. Besides, most fertility specialists have additional training in reproductive endocrinology as well.
Vision and hearing screening services– Your family doctor will monitor how your vision and hearing are doing over time. Regular exams make it easy to identify changes and early signs of eye disease, such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. Annual visits with a family practitioner can also help detect problems early.
The family practice or comprehensive care concerns all aspects of health and well-being, from preventive health to disease management to treatment and rehabilitation. Family doctors or general practitioners at JAM Wellness Clinics interact closely with their patients, whether delivering babies or providing care during advanced stages of terminal illnesses. Get in touch with them today for quality healthcare services.
