Person-centered family medicine and general practice

Person centered primary health care provides first contact care that is continuous, comprehensive, equitable, team-based, collaborative, coordinated, integrated, accessible, high value, and above all else person and family centered. Primary care by its very nature is integrative in design and process. It connects and coordinates care for the person and uses shared decision making to help value and respect the persons choices as they navigate through a complex and fragmented health care system. Family Medicine and General Practice are foundational to primary care and are a person, family and community integrator but they also function as a healthcare systems integrator improving both the quality of care and the lowering of cost to both people and populations. It has been found that the better a country's primary care system is, the better overall health care outcomes and lower per capita health care expenditures that country will have. Evidence also demonstrates that person centeredness contributes to higher quality care. Continuity and comprehensiveness of care leads to better health outcomes, lower all-cause mortality, better access to care, less rehospitalization, fewer consultations with specialists, less use of emergency services, and better detection of adverse effects of medical interventions. The use of the relationship of trust established through family medicine, general practice and other primary care health professionals in shared decision making is an effective and efficient means to promote behavior change that results in the triple aim of better health, improved healthcare, and lower costs. The Seven Shared Principles of primary care are a wonderful reminder of the person-centered approach to primary care. Additionally, the rural paradigm of person-centered care puts people at the center of the healthcare system. All nations must build a robust and vibrant person and family centered primary health care system based on the principles of continuity, comprehensiveness, and person centeredness with family physicians and general practice primary care physicians as its backbone. We must prioritize and rebalance healthcare systems to address the healthcare needs of the people that are served around these principles.