Kibinesh Fulas

Family Practice vs. General Practice: What’s the difference?

With so many advanced types of family medicine providers and medical specializations, it’s no wonder people get them confused so often. You probably know what kind of provider you need for heart disease or joint pain, but what about those times when you don’t have an idea what’s causing your symptoms? Do you go to your family practice or general practice? What exactly is the difference between these two practices?

Let’s explore the difference between family practice and general practice, the types of services they provide, and the patients they attend to.

Family Practice vs. General Practice

Family practice is a clinic of providers that offer primary medical care. To get family practitioner services, you register with a family practice. Your family primary care provider gets to know your entire medical history, as well as your family’s, and becomes your partner in maintaining overall health and wellness. Family medicine providers provide care to all patients irrespective of their age.

General practice is similar to urgent care or a general health clinic. General practitioners offer general medical services to patients of all ages but do not typically specialize in a particular area. Besides treating your medical condition, your GP also identifies the areas that need continued care from a specialist.

Specialization and services from family practice vs. general practice

In medicine, family practice is a specialty field. Your family medicine provider receives specialized training in diagnosing and treating the entire range of medical conditions that affect all family members. Since family medicine providers focus on the whole family’s needs, they often receive training in pediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology. They offer a wide range of urgent care, sick, and preventive care services, including:

  • Asthma and allergies
  • Chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, bronchitis, and diabetes (type 1 and type 2)
  • Physicals for school, sports, camp, employment, and insurance
  • Coughs, colds, and flu treatments
  • DOT physicals
  • Tonsillitis
  • Strep throat
  • Weight management
  • Health-risk assessments
  • Family planning
  • Immunizations
  • Whiplash and other auto-accident/workers’ comp trauma
  • Women’s health, including gynecologic exams and preventive care

A general practitioner is a provider who works in clinical settings such as urgent care centers, hospitals, and clinics.  They diagnose and treat a wide range of medical issues. General practitioners do not specialize in any particular area. Your general practitioner will keep your clinical record, which helps him refer you to a specialist. Your general practitioner can also perform minor suturing and wound treatment.

General practice clinics have labs and diagnostic machines to perform medical testing to further diagnose certain conditions. Their main goal is to treat you and keep you out of the hospital.

Types of patients

A family practice offers care for your entire family unit: male and female adults and children of all ages. Family medicine providers offer care to patients of all ages throughout their lives. They offer care to multiple generations at the same time.

A general practitioner also sees patients of all ages but for milder diseases, such as the common cold, affecting the entire body. Once treated, you are less likely to visit a general practitioner over and over again.

Wellington Family Practice, FL

Seeing a family medicine provider frequently is linked to better health outcomes. If you don’t have one yet, Wellington Family practice is accepting patients. At Advanced Medical Clinic, our board-certified family practitioners are dedicated to delivering compassionate, patient-oriented, and evidence-based care to you and your family.

To learn more about the services we offer, or to arrange a visit, call us today at (561) 434-1935, or you can request an appointment online. We offer same-day and walk-in appointments for your convenience.

When to visit a walk-in clinic vs. emergency room

Sometimes, you just need immediate medical treatment for a non-life-threatening condition. Whether it’s a cough, cold, fever, eye or ear infection, insect bite, or skin allergies, non-life-threatening is not necessarily non-life-affecting. These conditions can prevent you from going about your day normally and resting.

There are healthcare care facilities in Wellington, Florida, that have extended hours and are open on weekends where you can receive prompt medical care without having to make an appointment. They are called walk-in clinics, and they serve your medical needs for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

Walk-In Clinic vs. Emergency Room

You may be wondering, “How about the emergency room?” When primary care providers’ clinics are closed, there is the option of the emergency room. If you have visited the emergency room for a medical condition that is considered a non-emergency, chances are, you had to wait a long time to be seen, or you were asked to wait to see your primary care provider during regular hours.

Triage nurses in emergency rooms will assess your condition and determine its severity. Patients with conditions that are considered non-emergencies tend to have longer waits. Moreover, emergency room visits are expensive. You could receive treatment for a wound and be billed a shockingly high amount, which is largely the facility fee. All in all, it is better to save emergency room visits for true emergencies.

When to Visit an ER:

You should visit an ER when you have severe, life-threatening symptoms. Examples include:

  • High fever
  • Choking
  • Breathing issues
  • Passing out or fainting
  • Head and neck injuries
  • Complex fractures (there is evidence of deformity or bone pushing through the skin)
  • Severe pain anywhere in the body
  • Serious burns
  • Deep wounds
  • Severe bleeding
  • Severe allergic reaction; anaphylaxis
  • Numbness, weakness, or drooping on one side of the body

These are symptoms of life-threatening illnesses and injuries, suggesting a medical emergency, and should be treated in an emergency care facility.

When to Visit a Walk-In Clinic:

A wide range of non-life-threatening conditions can be treated at a walk-in clinic. Examples include:

  • Headaches
  • Sinus infections
  • Eye infection
  • Ear infections
  • Colds and flu
  • Strep throat
  • Sore throat
  • Tonsillitis
  • Fever
  • Insect bites
  • Mild skin allergy reaction or rashes
  • Small cuts, blisters, or wounds
  • Mild sprains and fractures
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain

A walk-in clinic can also provide other services, such as DOT physicals, women’s health exams, such as Pap smears, as well as vaccinations and immunizations.

Wellington Walk-In Clinic

The decision to visit a walk-in clinic can save you time and money. Patients are advised to find out ahead of time their options for care to be better prepared. If you are seeking urgent care for your medical condition, visit the Advanced Medical clinic in Wellington. We are a primary care clinic providing walk-in care. Unlike other Wellington walk-in clinics, at Advanced Medical, you will receive care from expert primary care providers.

The Advanced Medical clinic is located in the Palomino Park complex on Hwy 44. We also have a location in Royal Palm Beach, at 1236 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. If you have any questions, give us a call at (561) 434-1935. We look forward to providing for your urgent medical needs!

How a Family Medicine Provider Can Help Manage Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition that can cause chest pain, difficulty breathing, and wheezing. One of the most common causes of asthma is allergies, usually due to environmental factors such as dust, smoke, and pollution. A respiratory illness can also trigger asthma symptoms.

While there is no cure for asthma, you can keep your asthma symptoms under control with the help of your family medicine provider. A primary care provider can coordinate your healthcare with other medical specialists and help you maintain your quality of life.

Asthma is one of the most commonly treated conditions by family medicine providers. It may surprise you to know that even if you are already seeing an allergy family medicine provider for your asthma, the allergy specialist may recommend that you also see a primary care provider.

Let’s talk about why you need to have a family medicine provider, and how they can help you manage your asthma, and where you can go in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach for top-notch medical care for yourself and your whole family.

Reason #1: A Family Medicine Provider Can Help You Manage Several Conditions at Once

A family medicine provider helps you control not just asthma but also other chronic conditions you may have, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes. Your family medicine provider can provide comprehensive care by taking into account your medical history, lifestyle, and preferences.

It can be challenging trying to manage several health conditions concurrently, but it’s not impossible. Some medications have ingredients that contraindicate each other, in which case they should not be taken at the same time – and your family medicine provider will make sure that none of your medicines are counteracting. Similarly, some recommendations for one condition may not be recommended for another condition, and this family medicine provider will help you to make the best decisions about how to take a comprehensive approach.

Reason #2: A Family Medicine Provider Can Help Prevent Complications of Asthma

The breadth of knowledge and experience of a primary care provider includes training in diagnosing and treating asthma, so this provider knows how to help you reduce or prevent complications that may arise – such as a worsening of asthma symptoms. Family medicine providers give personalized, high-quality care to keep you healthy for a lifetime.

How a Family Medicine Provider Helps Keep Asthma Under Control

The goal is to prevent and control asthma attacks and establish normal lung function. This includes identifying your own personal triggers and avoiding them, and also the use of medication.

Depending on your needs, you may require the use of short-acting and long-acting prescription asthma medication. The family medicine provider will educate you on the use of a peak flow meter, and teach you how to use it to detect an oncoming attack and possibly prevent it.

The family medicine provider will also teach you how to properly use a rescue inhaler to experience quick relief from your asthma symptoms. The long-term medication prescribed by your family medicine provider will help prevent asthma attacks and lessen their severity when they do arise.

Family Medicine Provider in Wellington, FL

If you want to take control of your asthma, let our family medicine provider here at Advanced Medical Clinic, Dr. Shariffa Gunawardene, help you live a better life. Dr. Gunawardene provides personalized asthma treatment for our patients who have allergy-induced asthma, and she takes her time with each patient to determine the best course of action for optimal health and wellness. She and her husband, Dr. Ishan Gunawardene, together lead our medical team and will ensure you receive the full and proper diagnostics and treatment that works for you.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call our primary care clinic today at (561) 434-1935 or fill out our convenient online appointment request form. We look forward to serving you!