Gourt > Health > Medicine > Evidence Based Medicine > Family Medicine
A general practitioner (GP) or family physician (FP) is a physician/medical doctor who provides primary care. A GP/FP treats acute and chronic illnesses, provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. Some also care for hospitalized patients, do minor surgery and/or obstetrics. The term general practitioner is common in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries, where the word "physician" is only used for certain specialists and not for GPs.
Australia
General Practice in Australia has undergone many changes in training requirements over the past decade. The basic medical degree in Australia is the MBBS (Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery), which has traditionally been attained after completion of a six-year course. Over the last few years, four-year postgraduate courses have become more common. After graduating, a one or two-year internship (dependent on state) is required for registration before specialist training begins. For general practice training, the doctor applies to enter the three-year "Australian General Practice Training Program", a combination of coursework and apprenticeship type training leading to the awarding of the FRACGP (Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners), if successful. This qualification or its equivalent is needed to access the Medicare health system for remuneration as a general practitioner. Medicare is Australia's Universal Health Care system, and without access to it, a practitioner cannot effectively work in Australia. Most GPs work under a fee-for-service arrangement although increasingly a portion of income is derived from Government payments for participation in chronic disease management. There is a shortage of GPs in rural areas and increasingly outer metropolitan areas of large cities, which has led to the utilisation of overseas trained doctors (OTDs). GP incomes can match those of other internal medicine specialists, but not proceduralists. Many GPs feel that they are second-rate doctors because of lower incomes, less public respect than their specialist colleagues, lack of research opportunities, and lack of access to public hospitals. Historically GPs were the default group for those who had failed often brutal specialist training programs or for those without family connections to secure training positions for lucrative specialties, this is less so with the advent of general practice as a specialty in its own right, including a proper training scheme and certification process.
Brazil
General practice in Brazil is called clínica geral or clínica médica. Any physician is legally allowed to practice without any training after graduation in the medical school, but recent efforts by the government, the Brazilian Medical Association and the specialized Sociedade Brasileira de Clínica Médica are trying to demand also a specialist title for its practice, just like for others such as cardiology, endocrinology, etc. The majority of Brazilian GPs are located in the public health sector and is constituted mostly by young, recently graduated physicians. The reason is that GP is not terribly profitable and about 40% of Brazilian doctors prefer to do specialized practice, instead. To do this, they are required to do medical residence of variable duration and submit to a board of medical examiners in order to get the title of specialist. Each medical society is in charge of organizing the examinations (which usually are carried out once a year) and granting the titles to those physicians who passed the requirements. The title is recognized by the Federal Council of Medicine (the Federal professional regulatory body), the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. More on [ General practitioner ]
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SAMEDSPECIALIST (SAMEDICALSPECIALISTS) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:55:14 -0000
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Diploma in Emergency Medicine & Family Medicine The (UK) Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), which is... http://t.co/QyqhnZ61
targetpg (Target PG) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:25:47 -0000
Diploma in Emergency Medicine & Family Medicine The (UK) Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), which is... http://t.co/QyqhnZ61
**REPRINT** The family physician, or, Every man his own doctor [microform] : an encyclopedia of medicine, contai... http://t.co/VVF4DP8K
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Clinical Informaticist Project - The Imperial College School of Medicine, London, evaluates the role of general practitioners trained in evidence-based principles. Includes tutorials and clinical questions answered during the project.
eGuidelines - Handbook of United Kingdom and European clinical guidelines for primary and shared care. Published three times each year.
Meta Description: [ Comprehensive collection of UK clinical guidelines and related information for healthcare professionals and patients. ]
Evidence-Based Practice - A monthly publication of the American Academy of Family Physicians, with disease management guidelines and new drug evaluations.
Meta Description: [ Evidence-Based medicine from a team you trust - written by and for family physicians. ]
How to Write an Evidence-based Clinical Review Article - Article from the American Family Physician explains the journal's requirements for submissions designed for continuing medical education.
Introduction to Evidence Based Medicine - Boston University Medical Center presents a web-based tutorial for students undertaking the Family Medicine clerkship, with guidelines for searching primary medical literature and online databases.
Making Evidence-Based Medicine Doable in Everyday Practice - An article from the American Academy of Family Physicians provides a guide to finding clinically relevant information.
NHMRC Clinical Practice Guidelines - A list of publications for general practitioners and consumers, from the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia. Available for purchase or free download as PDF files.
Meta Description: [ The National Health and Medical Research Council Web site. ]
Prodigy - A source of clinical knowledge about the common conditions generally managed in primary and first contact care, which has been designed to be used by healthcare professionals together with patients.
Therapeutics Initiative - Established in cooperation with the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia to provide current, evidence-based, practical information on rational drug therapy.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force - A systematic review of evidence of effectiveness, and recommendations for clinical preventive services. Developed under the auspices of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Meta Description: [ Panel of health care experts that evaluates the latest scientific evidence on clinical preventive services. AHRQ will release new recommendations as they are completed. ]
Upstate Medical University: Center for Evidence-Based Practice - This department of the State University of New York conducts and supports original research involving studies of the effectiveness of new treatments, the accuracy of diagnostic tests, and the prognosis of disease.
Meta Description: [ Syracuse, New York region's only Level-1 trauma center (University Hospital) with more than 80 specialty clinics and four colleges. ]
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