Epidemiology of Family Practice

Abstract

EPIDEMIOLOGY, having long outgrown its classical definition as the study of epidemics, is now defined as the study of all the variables relating to the occurrence of diseases in populations; Morris¹has further suggested that the epidemiologic approach may be used to study the operation of health services. Since family practice is one of the health services, this approach may be utilized to determine the current content, availability and distribution of this service. <h3>Definition</h3> Perhaps the most useful definition of the term family practice has been given by the Committee on Preparation for General Practice of the AMA, in a report to the House of Delegates approved in June, 1959. This Committee defined family practice as "that aspect of medical care performed by the doctor of medicine who assumes comprehensive and continuing responsibility for the patient and his family regardless of age." He is generally the first physician consulted