Family doctors specialize in providing lifelong care for you and your family.
Your first point of contact with the health care system, family doctors are experts in diagnosing and treating the whole person. They care for patients in the office, the hospital, other health care facilities or the patient’s home.
Family doctors play a unique role in BC’s health care system.
Family doctors study family medicine, a certified medical specialty, and are trained to deal with any health problem. Family doctors also play an increasingly important role in the early identification of disease.
Having your own family doctor is good for your health!
Research shows that continuity in patient care – developing a relationship with your family doctor – provides better health outcomes for patients. Family doctors advocate for you and work with specialists and other health care professionals to provide patient-centred care. They also work with you to prevent illness and promote healthy living.
Download our infographic about family doctors and family medicine. Watch a short video to read what patients have to say about the 2019 nominees for the My Family Doctor Award.
BC’s Family Doctors
Your family doctor is often your first point of contact with the health care system when you need medical care or advice about your health. Family doctors care for you and your family throughout the different stages of your life.
The doctor-patient relationship is at the centre of family medicine. Your family doctor can provide you with comprehensive, patient-centred health care, focusing on your wellness and quality of life, as well as your physical or mental health concerns.
Family doctors also play an important role in BC’s health care system, acting as the central hub for managing health or illness for patients and families, and providing referrals to specialists when needed.
Research shows that having a good working relationship with your family doctor can result in better health, earlier diagnosis of potentially serious problems, such as cancer, and fewer hospital stays.
Where family doctors work
Family doctors work in many different practice settings, depending on the needs of the local community. In a growing number of practices, we provide team-based care, contributing medical expertise and leadership to practice teams that include other health care professionals. The shared goal is to provide you with accessible, comprehensive and consistent care. You will also find family doctors practising in walk-in or specialized clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other settings.
Training
Family doctors complete a two-year residency in family medicine. The national College – the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) – sets the national standards for post-graduate (residency) training for the certification and ongoing education of Canada’s family doctors.
Leadership in patient and community health
Family doctors provide leadership in practices, communities, and in the health care system. Family doctors work with partners, including health authorities and other local health care providers, on initiatives that will improve access to health care services and foster better health for patients and communities.
Teaching and research
Family doctors are committed to excellence and evidence-based care, participating in practice-based quality improvement initiatives and research projects that contribute to better care for patients. Family doctors also teach family medicine knowledge and expertise to University of BC medical students.
Find a family doctor
If you need a family doctor, we are not able to link patients with doctors, but we have posted some useful information on our Find a Family Doctor page.
Family doctors are good for your health
BC Family Doctor Day focuses on the value of relationship-based, comprehensive, longitudinal care provided by family physicians. Evidence shows that having a family doctor who knows you and cares for you overtime leads to better health outcomes.
Why are family doctors important?
Family physicians have a unique role within the health care system.
We are the first point of contact for patients when they have health concerns, and we act as the central “hub” for managing the health of our patients and their families over time.
By proactively managing the health of our patients and providing prompt treatment when they are unwell, we can minimize the need for more expensive, hospital-based care later on.
We are highly skilled generalists, with the expertise to assess patients early in their illness, developing a patient centred diagnosis and treatment plan.
The patient-doctor relationship is central to the care provided by family physicians.
We get to know our patients and we serve as a trusted health advocate, tailoring the care and advice that we provide to meet each patient’s changing needs and stage of life.
Family physicians are a vital resource to their communities.
Collectively, we work with our local and provincial partners to deliver accessible, comprehensive, continuity-based, patient-centred care.
We provide health care services to the broader community: family physicians care for patients in the office, the hospital, other health care facilities, or the home.
In a hospital setting, the role of a family physician may include: working in emergency departments; delivering in-hospital care; administering anesthesia in the operating room; or providing obstetrical care.
We support the Patient’s Medical Home and the primary care network vision for family medicine, where family physicians work within health care teams to offer comprehensive, coordinated care for our patients.
