Family medicine is grounded on the most basic social unit—the family. Family medicine doctors receive specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of the entire spectrum of medical conditions that affect the members of an entire family unit: the mother, the father, the children, and even the grandparents.
It doesn’t mean, however, that you need to have a family to be attended to by a family doctor. Rather, it implies that family doctors can provide care to patients of all ages, throughout their lives, and for multiple generations at the same time.
To get a better insight into how you can benefit from the expertise of a family doctor, let’s explore the various conditions they treat and the scope of their services.
Emerging, Acute, and Chronic Conditions
As your primary care provider, your family doctor knows your medical history and can evaluate new and unusual symptoms, which may be indicative of a development of a potentially serious medical condition. In other words, if you’re experiencing symptoms that you suspect to be those of a chronic condition, your family doctor is the usually the first physician you see to ascertain whether these symptoms are any cause for concern. Your family doctor will then order the necessary tests, interpret the results, and constantly monitor your symptoms to see if there’s any progression.
Should these symptoms point to a chronic condition, your family doctor can provide personalized, ongoing treatment and coordinate your care with other sub-specialists, when need be. Common chronic diseases treated by family doctors include arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.
Your family doctor is also your go-to – and often, your only stop– for appropriate diagnoses and treatment of acute conditions, such as urinary tract infection, cold, flu, sinus infection, ear infection, among others.
Women’s Health
Contrary to what many women think, a wellness appointment with their OB/GYN doesn’t necessarily cover their primary care needs. Albeit an OB/GYN can cover specific gynecologic or reproductive health issues, it isn’t the same as seeing a family doctor.
A recent study indicates that women who consult their family doctors for preventive care receive a broader range of care. The bottom line is that visits with family doctors can complement visits with OB/GYNs.
Other Services Provided by a Family Doctor
Apart from diagnosing and providing treatment for diseases, family doctors also provide health and nutrition counseling, health-risk assessments, early pregnancy care, family planning, wellness checkups, immunizations, and screening tests.
Family Medicine Provider in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach
If you’ve been on the world wide web to search for a family doctor in Wellington, Florida, your search ends here. At Advanced Medical Clinic, our board-certified family nurse practitioner–Shariffa Gunawardene—is a family medicine provider, who is dedicated to delivering evidence-based, compassionate, and patient-centered care to everyone in our community.
To schedule an appointment with Shariffa, call us at (561) 434-1935. You may also use this secure online appointment form.
