Family doctors are educated and trained in general medicine, with additional training in pediatrics and geriatrics. They provide a one-stop medical service for all ages and stages of life for their patients, from birth through to old age, and everything in between. Their goal is to provide an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship that is focused on preventative and all-encompassing medical care for their patients and their patient’s family members. They are able to perform annual physical exams, diagnosis and treat injuries and illnesses, perform health-risk assessments and provide immunizations and screening tests. They will refer their patients to specialists when needed for focused care of specific injuries, illnesses or diseases, but will keep a centralized record of the patient’s care to ensure patient records are accurate and complete. The family doctor is often the first step in seeking medical care for an illness, injury or other medical concern as your primary care physician. From there, they can refer you to a specialist if needed or provide the proper diagnosis and treatment themselves due to their extensive knowledge and training.

Family medicine is a strong contender for being the best medical care available, but the best option will be different to each individual patient and their medical needs. Many patients choose to seek medical treatment from a doctor who is trained in family medicine for their extensive knowledge and training in all ages and stages of life, as well as their ability to diagnose and treat a wide range of illnesses and injuries. Family medicine is based on the philosophy of providing complete medical care from birth to old age, and building strong doctor-patient bonds with their patients as the primary source of medical treatment. Doctors trained and practicing in family medicine typically take on patient families, meaning not just one member of the family, but adults, kids, seniors and potentially extended family members if they are in the same geographic area. Under family medicine, doctors keep complete records of their patient’s medical histories, including any treatments that are outside of their care. They help facilitate additional treatments through specialists to ensure they have a holistic view into their patient’s care.

Family medicine and family practice are one and the same. Family practice is simply an older term used to refer to the encompassing medical practice of treating patients of all ages of their life. However, a doctor needs to be board certified in family medicine to be able to accurately refer to themselves as a family physician, family doctor or family practitioner. Without the board certification, refer themselves as a general practitioner. Family practice refers to the actual practice and treatment of patients under family medicine. Family medicine is a broad term that refers to the science of overarching care of all members and ages within a family. Family medicine works on not just treating the injuries and illnesses they see in their patients, they also focus on preventative measures to ensure long-term health and wellness as well as overseeing treatment of chronic conditions, sometimes managed through the practice of a specialized medical professional.

Finding a good family doctor is important to your long-term health and the health of your family. A good family doctor will want to create a strong bond with their patients to last over the course of their life, not just on a visit-by-visit basis. This can be an overwhelming task, as there are so many doctors to choose from, but it doesn’t have to be that daunting. First of all, determine what area you want your doctor to be in – do you want one close to home or close to your work? You can do research on the internet for family doctors in your targeted area to give you a starting point to understand the scope of their practice and see if they are accepting patients. From there you can ask friends and family members, as well as neighbors or coworkers for any recommendations they have for family doctors in your targeted area. Consider things like insurance plan acceptance, office hours, typical time to get an appointment, ease of accessibility, training and experience of the doctor and how their practice functions. In a multi-doctor practice, will you always see the same doctor, or could you potentially see one of the other doctors? Once you have narrowed down your search, you can book meet and greet appointments with a couple of them to see how you interact with them. The doctor you choose is going to be your partner, and your family’s partner, in your health so you want to ensure you are comfortable having uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing conversations with them.

If you have other questions to ask our doctors at Suburban Health Associates, we welcome you to call us or schedule an appointment through our website! We serve patients from Naperville IL, Plainfield IL, Joliet IL, Crest Hill IL, and Aurora IL.