Family medicine is a primary care medical speciality that offers continuous and comprehensive healthcare to people of all ages, genders, diseases, and body parts. The expert who is a primary care physician is generally referred to as a family physician.

Family medicine is conceptually focused on the family rather than on a particular patient (such as adults, children, or women), organ system (such as urology or dermatology), or treatment plan (i.e., surgery). Family medicine specialist is therefore trained with the aim of being able to handle the whole range of medical disorders that members of a family could have.

What is the role of a Family Medicine specialist?

Children are treated by paediatricians, while internal medicine doctors treat adults. A family medicine specialist treats adults and children and is a paediatrician and internist all combined into one.

A family doctor functions as the first point of contact when a patient has a health concern. The doctor also uses data and technology to coordinate services and improve care.

Services:

• 31% offer emergency treatment
• 48% treat patients in a hospital setting
• 74% care for infants and kids
• 83% have access to hospitals
• 18% offer obstetric services
• 82% regularly perform procedures.

Procedures include:

• Skin procedures
• Suturing lacerations
• Ultrasound imaging
• HIV and STD treatment
• Endoscopy
• Family planning
• Prenatal care and management
• Musculoskeletal injections
• Spirometry

Among other services, they provide:

• routine examinations, such as well-baby and well-child visits
• health risk evaluations
• Vaccinations
• diagnostic procedures
• healthy lifestyle Counselling
• the management of prevalent chronic diseases

According to the American Academy of Family (AAFP) Physicians, family medicine has emphasized providing medical care for people from all socioeconomic groups since the formation of the speciality in 1969. . Many family medicine doctors practice in underprivileged urban and rural areas with limited or no access to primary care.

When to visit a family medicine specialist urgently?

• Asthma that is getting worse
• Blood in the stool or urine
• Sore throat and signs of infection
• Bronchitis
• Productive or Non-productive cough
• Deep cuts
• Cystitis
• Domestic violence
• Ear infections
• Fatigue
• Headache/migraine that is getting worse
• Mild or moderate pneumonia
• Chronic prostatitis
• Sexual abuse
• Sexually transmitted disease or infection
• Sinus infection
• Sports injuries
• Stomach flu (gastroenteritis)
• Uncontrolled vomiting, accompanied by dehydration

Contribution of a Family medicine specialist to the community:

Primary care is a unique, effective field because it combines a deep understanding of the human body with a passion for the patients. The family physician has an understanding of social determinants of health and community-level factors

A Family doctor who practices in community health settings offers various medical services. The accessibility of a primary care physician has resulted in:

• lower neonatal death rates
• vaccination rates above the national average
• the lower total cost of healthcare
• increased birth weight
• healthier, longer lifespans

Medical specialist referrals:

A family medicine physician clinic is usually a good place to start if you have a condition that may require a specialist, such as a heart condition. Your Family doctor can suggest and recommend qualified specialists. When you start treatment with a specialist, the medical professionals can work on your prescriptions and keep monitoring your condition.

To be qualified for speciality coverage under some insurance policies, you must get a referral to a specialist from a primary care physician.

Where to find a family medicine specialist in Kuala Lumpur and Kepong

There are many GP clinic in Malaysia but not many clinic attached with family medicine specialist. CAREPLUS Klinik Chye is one of the private GP clinic with family medicine specialist on board.

Education and Training:

Family medicine residents are trained in primary care medicine. After graduating from medical school, they are educated in various specialities, including community medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, and psychiatry.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, Family medicine doctors are trained in the following areas as well,

• Emergency medicine
• Geriatrics (geriatric medicine)
• Ophthalmology (eyes)
• Orthopaedics (musculoskeletal system)
• Otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat, or ENT)
• Radiology (imaging)
• Sexual Transmitted Disease
• Urology (urinary tract)

Fellowship Training is often offered through already-established residency programmes and generally lasts 12 months after residency training (although they can vary by programme).

Others result in Certificates of Added Qualifications (CQAs), which are provided in conjunction with other medical speciality boards. Some are only for educational purposes.

DR Chan Kok Xian:

Dr Chan Kok Xian, a family medicine specialist in KL, is a 2012 graduate of Russia. He completed his training at the Penang General Hospital and worked at the Sabak Bernam district hospital for two years. He has five years of experience working with the Government’s healthcare clinic and received his Diploma in Family Medicine in 2017.

Founded in 1981, Chye Family Medicine Specialist Clinic has provided community healthcare for almost 40 years. The clinic is regarded as one of the leading medical care providers in Kepong and Kuala Lumpur. The clinic has constantly offered top-notch medical services for 39 years while building its bond with the Kepong community. Being the only clinic in Kepong Baru with a family medicine specialist on staff makes it stand out.