Who is a family physician?
Family physicians are medical generalists who provide healthcare and assistance to people of all ages. Their roles typically include evaluating symptoms, offering preventative care, treating chronic conditions, and referring to specialists when necessary. They practice in private offices, hospitals, community medical clinics, and group settings with other family care practitioners.
They deliver various care services, such as conducting health risk assessments and screenings, providing immunization, extending healthy lifestyle counseling, and undertaking routine checkups for general health upkeep. Many family physicians also specialize in sports medicine, public health, and emergency and urgent care.
What education and training do family physicians undergo?
To become a family physician, one must acquire an undergraduate degree and complete at least four years at an accredited medical school. Family physicians also undertake a three to four-year residency program to become specialists in pediatrics, critical care medicine, general surgery, obstetrics, etc. Finally, they must get certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians or the American Board of Family Medicine to earn their license.
Certain physicians pursue fellowships post-residency to enhance their expertise, align with professional objectives, or address community requirements. These fellowships typically last a year and cover geriatrics, obstetrics, addiction medicine, preventive medicine, sports medicine, research, and faculty development.
Subspecialties of family medicine
Family medicine is not about one organ or a particular disease; this branch of medicine also has many subspecialties. A family physician may be certified in one or more subspecialties. The following are some subspecialties that require practitioners to undertake additional training and board evaluation:
- Sleep medicine: In sleep medicine, the doctor trains in diagnosing and treating issues that interfere with sleep and problems occurring during sleep. They learn to manage a sleep laboratory, acquaint themselves with all research on the subject, and gain expertise in analyzing and interpreting polysomnography (sleep study).
- Geriatric medicine: A geriatric specialist gains an in-depth understanding of aging. Their expertise helps them diagnose illnesses in older patients, suggest appropriate therapies, recommend preventive measures, and enable rehabilitation.
- Adolescent medicine: This subspecialty relates to the unique healthcare needs of adolescents. It encompasses the psychological, physical, and social aspects of their well-being.
- Sports medicine: A sports medicine specialist is qualified to treat sports and exercise injuries. They can also handle issues that might adversely affect a sportsperson's health and physical performance.
- Palliative and hospice medicine: In this subspecialty, the physician gains skills in relieving and preventing the suffering of patients who have life-limiting illnesses. They learn to address not just the patient's physical needs but also help with their psychological, social, and spiritual requirements.
- Pain medicine: Pain medicine specialists acquire training in helping people with chronic or acute pain. They work in both hospital settings and outpatient facilities.
Why should you have a family physician?
Family physicians are generally the first point of contact for people seeking healthcare. Issues may range from flu symptoms to signs of more severe illnesses. Approaching a family doctor is also helpful for the healthcare system, as only the emergent and fewer cases reach emergency rooms. Some benefits of having a family physician are:
- They keep track of your changing life cycle: Family physicians can treat toddlers, teens, young adults, middle-aged patients, and older adults. Often, the same patients keep returning and seeking care through different stages of their lives, even spanning decades. It can lead to a lasting relationship and create a one-stop shop for all your medical needs.
- They are aware of your personal and family medical history: Owing to the relationship that family physicians build with patients over the years, they become aware of their medical history inside and out. It helps them diagnose more accurately while looking for any red flags. Thus, family physicians keep track of treatment plans and their progress. Additionally, as they provide intergenerational care to their patients, family physicians maintain an accurate and in-depth family history record. They recommend genetic counseling or offer screening plans to at-risk family members if there exists a history of cancer, diabetes, etc.
- Family physicians do more than treat acute medical issues. People visit family physicians for yearly checkups but can do much more. They help manage chronic ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, etc. They can also provide care throughout pregnancy and undertake minor surgical procedures like draining an abscess or freezing a wart.
- They can help improve lives and save money: Utilizing the services of a family doctor has proven to save money for healthcare systems. For example, research published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that for every 10,000 people, a family physician can reduce hospital admissions by 5.5%, visits to the emergency room by 11%, and surgical procedures by 11%.
Their holistic healthcare practice pays attention to every change in lifestyle, family life, and symptoms, ultimately helping you and your family maintain better health through focused treatment. It leads to improved quality of life.
Family physician vs. internist
The scope of family medicine is not confined to particular diseases and extends to the whole family — adults and children alike. They primarily work in outpatient settings and are often the first contact physicians for patients, irrespective of their health concerns. On the other hand, a physician specializing in internal medicine deals exclusively with adult patients and usually works in a hospital.
A family physician uses selective screening for early diagnosis and follows up with patient-centric treatment. They might also train in specific procedures used in specialties such as gynecology. Internists deal with more complex medical issues.
There are also a few differences in the training these two types of doctors undergo. Internal medicine aspirants focus on hospitalized patients, emphasizing critical care, emergency medicine, and medical subspecialty care. Family practice residents spend a year in inpatient care, while the other two years are devoted to pediatric, OB-GYN, and other outpatient branches of medicine.
What to expect at a family physician appointment?
When you visit a family physician near you, the procedures during your appointment may vary based on your medical condition. However, several typical procedures are commonly part of a family physician appointment, including:
Vital signs check: Your family physician will likely start by assessing your vital signs, including blood pressure, body temperature, and heartbeat. These measurements provide crucial information about your overall health and help the physician identify potential issues.
Blood tests: Your family physician may ask for routine blood tests to check for ailments like high cholesterol or diabetes. These tests are essential in monitoring your overall health and identifying potential health problems.
Physical exam: Depending on your symptoms or medical history, your family physician may conduct a head, abdominal, or skin exam to check for abnormalities or signs of illness.
Women's health screening: Women's health screening may involve assessments for osteoporosis, mammogram referrals, and sexual health. These screenings help identify potential health issues, ensuring women receive appropriate medical care.
Men's health screening: Men's health screening typically includes examinations for prostate health, colorectal health, and aortic aneurysms. These exams help determine potential health issues in men and ensure they receive the necessary medical care.
Pediatric screenings: Family physicians will conduct screenings for growth and development in children and administer any required vaccinations. These screenings ensure that children receive the essential medical care to support their growth and development.
Questions to consider when selecting a family physician
Here are some questions you need to consider when selecting a family physician near you:
- What are their qualifications and experience?
- Are they certified to provide primary care?
- Do they employ a more aggressive or conservative approach to treatment?
- Do they focus on disease treatment or prevention?
- How do they decide on the patient's need for a specialist?
- How do they communicate with the patient(by email, in person, or the phone)?
- What are the doctor's office hours?
- How long do you need to wait to get an appointment?
- Who should you reach out to when the physician is on vacation?
What are chronic diseases?
Chronic diseases are medical disorders that persist for over a year and require continuous medical care. Some chronic conditions may even disrupt your daily routine. A few people may also suffer from more than one chronic condition, significantly affecting their overall health and quality of life.
According to America's Health Rankings website, three or more chronic conditions in a patient are termed multiple chronic conditions. Such patients belong to the highest care-needing category of the population, as each chronic illness requires additional monitoring, medication, and continuous care. Moreover, multiple chronic conditions also increase the risk of depression, mortality, adverse drug usage, recurrent hospitalizations, and social, physical, and cognitive limitations.
Multiple chronic conditions also have a substantial economic burden on the individual. According to America's Health Ranking's website, adults with five or more chronic conditions spend about 14 times more on healthcare than adults without chronic illnesses. As per the latest estimates, for every dollar spent on healthcare, about 71 cents is spent on treating multiple chronic conditions.
How can the risk of chronic diseases be lowered?
Reducing the risk of chronic illnesses is essential for long-term good health and well-being. Lifestyle modifications, quitting smoking, a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, and regular physical activity can help you stay healthy and away from common chronic illnesses. It also enables you to manage your existing chronic conditions effectively.
Regular health checkups help you understand your condition and receive proactive treatment, preventing the disease from becoming a major health complication.
Finding the best family physician near you in Portland, Oregon
Patients generally enjoy long-term associations with their family physicians. As the name suggests, these physicians cater to the medical needs of an entire family. Thus, sharing a rapport and being comfortable with them is essential for a holistic healthcare experience. However, finding one that meets your requirements may take time and effort. Zocdoc is here to the rescue!
Using Zocdoc's user-friendly interface, enter your location details (Portland, Oregon) and symptoms to see a list of suitable family doctors. Zocdoc also allows you to streamline your search by your insurance plan and whether or not a practitioner treats children.
If you want to know your insurance plan, upload an image of your insurance card to your Zocdoc account, and we will find and display information regarding your insurance plan (this feature is not available for vision and dental plans). You can also check out Zocdoc's patient help center for more information and solutions related to insurance.
Browsing through the list, you can find relevant details about the doctors, such as their educational qualifications, licensure, experience, and areas of expertise. You can also learn about their awards, accreditations, and ratings. Upon shortlisting, you can rely on the reviews left by previous patients to make an informed decision.
You can seamlessly book an appointment through Zocdoc once you finalize a family physician near you. These consultations can be virtual or in-person, depending on your medical needs and the practitioner's availability.
All bookings made on Zocdoc are simple, accessible, and secure!
Family medicine statistics for Oregon
According to the Oregon Center for Nursing, around 77% of the state's primary care nurse practitioners worked in the office or clinic of a family physician.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon had approximately 9,584 actively practicing primary care providers in 2024. Physicians made up the largest group, with 6,297 actively practicing primary care physicians, while 1,015 physician associates and 1,936 nurse practitioners were actively practicing in primary care. In terms of direct patient care capacity, physicians accounted for approximately 4,684 full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions, compared with 794 FTEs for physician associates and 1,439 FTEs for nurse practitioners.
Sources
Oregon Center for Nursing
Oregon Health Authority
PubMed
Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials
Cleveland Clinic
America’s Health Rankings
American Board of Medical Specialties
St. George's University
WebMD
University of Medicine and Health Sciences
