Essentials of Family Medicine – Sixth Edition / أساسيات طب الأسرة – الإصدار السادس

Family Medicine, Much has changed in primary care in the 25 years since our first edition of Essentials of Family Medicine.

We have considerably more scientific evidence on which to base our clinical decision making and far greater access to the tools that allow us to incorporate that evidence into daily care.

Our role in prevention has become increasingly important and complex, demanding that practices be organized and work in teams more than ever before.

We have an ever greater role in assisting our patients with complex chronic disease management, as diabetes and obesity have joined (and possibly overtaken) hypertension and heart disease as the leading chronic conditions that family physicians must prevent and treat.

Perhaps more remarkable is how much hasn’t changed in the past quarter century. The patient-centered encounter remains the backbone of effective care, whether in the office, on the telephone, or online.

In these encounters, attentiveness to the interaction between biological, socioeconomic, and psychological factors is as crucial and relevant as ever.

Family medicine residency programs continue to provide excellent preparation for physicians interested in caring for individuals of all ages and their families within a broad range of practice settings, styles, and populations.

Primary medical care continues to be recognized as the cornerstone of an effective healthcare system, although integration of primary care into the broader U.S. system remains far from ideal.

Essentials of Family Medicine is intended as a practical and comprehensive overview of the specialty. It can be read from cover to cover or used as a basic daily reference by primary care providers, students, and residents.

It is suitable for medical students completing their third- and fourth-year clerkships in family medicine.

Other professionals, including specialists in other fields, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, may read it as an introduction to the field or use the many algorithms and tables for quick reference at the pointof-care. We hope our readers continue to find it useful and easy to read.