What is the Difference Between Family Practice and General Practice?

Family practice and general practice are both primary care specialties that provide comprehensive medical care for patients of all ages. However, there are some differences between the two:

Family Practice:

• Family practitioners are physicians who treat patients of all ages, from infants to adults, and provide comprehensive care for their patients, including preventive care, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, and management of family planning and pregnancy.
• Family medicine doctors have a broader scope of training than general practitioners and receive specialized training in diagnosing and treating the entire family.
• They often work in private offices with other family physicians.

General Practice:

• General practitioners can treat patients of all ages, but they may refer patients to specialists for more specialized care.
• General practice is similar to urgent care or a general health clinic.
• General practitioners offer general medical services to patients of all ages but do not typically focus on the whole family's needs like family medicine doctors do.

In summary, family practice doctors focus on the whole family's needs and often have additional specialties in pediatrics, obstetrics, and geriatrics to provide more comprehensive care, while general practitioners offer general medical services to patients of all ages without the same level of specialized training.

Comparative Table: Family Practice vs General Practice

Here is a table comparing the differences between family practice and general practice:

Both family practice and general practice are primary care medical specialties that provide comprehensive healthcare services to patients. The main difference between the two is the focus on the entire family unit and the scope of services provided in family practice, while general practice typically treats milder diseases and focuses on continuity of care.