May 19 th . World Family Doctor Day . A day to celebrate the role of General and Family Medicine specialists in our communities and in the lives of each person. But also, an opportunity to thank the hundreds of family doctors who work in the Hospital da Luz network, in the General and Family Medicine services, in the support of Urgent Care, in the work accident services. To all of them, who take care of those who come to us and watch over the health of many families. Who are always present throughout life and who know their patients like no one else. Who know how to listen and recognize when it is necessary to ask for help from other specialists. And that they must know a lot about all of Medicine to decide what is best for each stage of their patients' lives, health, and illness. To all of them, throughout the Hospital da Luz network, thank you . This is your day. World Family Doctor Day was first declared by WONCA (World Organization of Family Doctors) in 2010 and has become a day to highlight the role and contribution of family doctors and primary care teams in healthcare systems all around the world. This celebration is an opportunity to recognize the central role, in the present and in the future, of family doctors in the health system and in the way in which these professionals can contribute to increasing the proximity of health services to the population. It is also a time to celebrate the progress made in General and Family Medicine and the special contributions of primary care teams around the world. What does the family doctor do? General and Family Medicine (GFM) is a specialty that ‘is not’. A medical specialty, in its classic concept, is a specific body of knowledge, well compartmentalized, that addresses a set of problems, diseases, technical procedures, which can only be treated and performed by this specialist. This description already makes a certain opposition to what is the specialist in General and Family Medicine. But, in fact, to perform GFM, to be a family doctor, it is also necessary to build up a body of technical knowledge, skills and specific attitudes in an area of care provision. In the beginning, the family doctor was just a generalist, someone who took care of people throughout their lives. However, over time, this area of Medicine acquired specific skills and knowledge that no one else had, which led to the recognition of the existence of a 'science' around the specialty of General and Family Medicine, constituting as a specialty, as a specific area of Medicine. If a family doctor is to be a generalist , due to the approach and scope of care that involves his daily care activity. But it is also being a specialist because their clinical practice is constituted as a body of specific knowledge and specialized activity, focused on the individual and his family, and on the relationship with the environment and the community in which he is inserted. To respond, in your consultation, to this range of care, you must be scientifically and technically prepared for any situation: in a single consultation period, an GFM specialist can see a sprained foot, a headache or chest pain, a person with diabetes, an anxiety attack… And in people of any age. In other words, it is not just about dealing with a huge diversity of health problems, but also with the fact that they are problems of any age. The GFM specialist follows families from children to grandparents. And this requires constant and intense preparation and scientific and technical updating. Finally, between the family doctor and the patient or the family he follows, a 'relationship for life' is preferably established - a relationship of trust that requires from GFM specialists’ special communication skills, special scientific updating duties and to interact very effectively with colleagues from all other specialties. In summary: Family doctors are always present, and continuity of care is a key feature of their work. They provide continuous care at all stages of patients' lives and in conjunction with other levels of care and other health professionals. This continuity of care requires constant preparation and development of skills, scientific research, and the ability to adapt to changes, technologies, methodologies, and educational strategies. Family doctors are part of the communities they work with , proactively interacting with their members, sharing their values, and creating a unique and trusting relationship with their patients. Providing affordable, equitable, sustainable, and high-quality care is what family doctors are all about. Being a family doctor is a privilege and a responsibility, always taking care of people and providing for their well-being and protection and identifying the needs of their patients, to guarantee the fundamental right to health.
