WhatsAppComprehensive and Holistic Primary Health Care
The Academic Hospital Family Medicine Department is the primary care centre where individual health problems are first assessed, chronic diseases are monitored regularly and preventive health services are provided. The department covers a broad range of care, from acute illness to chronic disease management, from vaccination to cancer screening, and from geriatric assessment to child health. Where necessary, the patient is referred to the relevant specialist departments such as cardiology, internal medicine or clinical psychology.
Contents
What Is the Family Medicine Department?
Family medicine is a comprehensive medical specialty that assesses all the health problems of an individual at the primary care level, regardless of age, sex or type of illness. The family physician approaches the patient not through a single complaint but in the whole biopsychosocial context. More than one health problem can be managed in the same visit. The department takes on a central coordinating role within the health system, helping patients reach the right specialist at the right time.
Which Diseases and Conditions Are Treated?
The family medicine department manages a broad range of illness at the primary care level, independently of age and sex.
- Acute illness: Assessment and treatment of sudden-onset health problems such as influenza, sore throat, sinusitis, bronchitis, urinary tract infection, diarrhoea, rash and musculoskeletal pain
- Chronic disease management: Regular follow-up and medication management of long-term conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, asthma, COPD, thyroid disease and hyperlipidemia
- Preventive medicine: Delivery of the adult vaccination schedule, cancer screening programmes and cardiovascular risk assessment
- Healthy living counselling: Nutrition, physical activity, weight management (coordinated with the nutrition and dietetics department), smoking and alcohol interventions
- Geriatric assessment: Comprehensive assessment of fall risk, cognitive function, polypharmacy and activities of daily living in patients aged 65 and over
- Paediatric follow-up: Growth and development monitoring, childhood vaccinations and assessment of common childhood illnesses
- Initial mental health assessment: Identification of anxiety and depression symptoms and referral to psychiatry where necessary
- Certification examinations: Health reports for occupational health, sport, school or travel purposes
- Family planning counselling: Information and guidance on contraceptive options
When Should You Consult Us?
The Family Medicine Department is the first place to turn to before you know which department to go to. You can consult this department in all of the following situations:
- Acute complaints such as sudden-onset fever, cough, sore throat or abdominal pain
- Routine review and prescription renewal in chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes or asthma
- Planning an annual general health review (check-up)
- Unexplained loss of 5 kg or more over 6 months
- Extreme fatigue lasting more than 4 weeks and not relieved by rest
- New-onset headache or headache that has changed in character
- Blood in the stool, a change in bowel habit or difficulty swallowing
- Patients with more than one complaint who do not know which specialty department to consult
- Assessment of a child's growth, development or vaccination schedule
- Comprehensive geriatric assessment in patients over the age of 65
Diagnostic Methods
A comprehensive diagnostic assessment is carried out in the family medicine department, along with referral for any necessary investigations.
| Method | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| Assessment of the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, musculoskeletal and neurological systems together | |
| Full blood count, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid panel, kidney and liver function tests, thyroid hormones, complete urinalysis | |
| Identification of cardiac rhythm and conduction disorders; used in hypertension and cardiovascular risk assessment | |
| A respiratory function test measuring lung capacity; used in the diagnosis and follow-up of asthma and COPD | |
| The basic components of cardiometabolic risk assessment | |
| Colonoscopy for colon cancer, mammography for breast cancer, the Pap test for cervical cancer and low-dose thoracic CT for lung cancer |
Treatment Approaches
The family medicine department is focused on both treatment and prevention.
Acute illness management
- Determining the need for antibiotics in infectious disease and planning appropriate treatment
- Symptom management and application of observation protocols in viral illness
- Early identification of situations requiring referral to the emergency department
Chronic disease follow-up
- Hypertension: Regular blood pressure measurement, adjustment of medication dose, lifestyle counselling, kidney function monitoring
- Diabetes: HbA1c monitoring, foot examination, referral for early detection of eye and kidney complications
- Asthma and COPD: Spirometry follow-up, assessment of inhaler technique, management of exacerbation triggers
- Referral to cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology or other specialties where necessary
Preventive medicine and vaccination
- Annual influenza vaccine: Recommended for all adults; a priority for patients with chronic disease and those over 65
- Pneumococcal vaccine: Given to those over 65 and to patients with chronic lung, heart or kidney disease
- Hepatitis B vaccine series: For adults whose serological immunity is incomplete
- HPV vaccine: Prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers in the appropriate age group
- Td/Tdap booster: Tetanus and diphtheria every 10 years, with the pertussis component where necessary
You can consult our family physicians at the Academic Hospital Family Medicine Department for a check-up, chronic disease follow-up, vaccination and preventive health assessment.
Book an AppointmentFamily Medicine at Academic Hospital
The Academic Hospital Family Medicine Department delivers outpatient assessment, chronic disease follow-up, vaccination and preventive health services under one roof. Where further assessment is needed, the patient is referred to the relevant specialty department. The department works routinely with the following departments:
- Internal Medicine: further assessment of complex chronic conditions
- Cardiology: advanced cardiac assessment of patients at cardiovascular risk
- Psychology: psychological support following the initial mental health assessment
- Nutrition and Dietetics: joint delivery of weight management and nutrition counselling
- Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases: joint management of diabetes and thyroid disease
- Pulmonology: advanced respiratory assessment in asthma and COPD follow-up
- Pediatrics: paediatric referral for growth, development and childhood illness
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the family medicine department are given below.
References
The general information given on this page about primary health care, chronic disease management and preventive medicine is supported by the reliable health sources listed below.
- World Health Organization, "Primary Health Care", who.int
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion", cdc.gov
- Starfield B. et al., "Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health", Milbank Quarterly, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The information on this page is for informational purposes only; it does not replace medical examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a healthcare institution regarding your complaints.
