This is done either directly or through other services, according to the health needs and resources available in the community they serve, assisting patients in accessing these services. They must take responsibility for developing and maintaining their skills, balance and personal values for effective and safe health care.
First and foremost, the family doctor provides medical and social care to all patients regardless of age, sex or pathology and is the link between the community and the national health system.
The family doctor approaches the patient in both a state of health and in a state of illness; his role is to monitor and maintain optimal health and promote a healthy lifestyle, to detect a chronic disease in its early stages and to prevent and treat complications of a disease.
The family doctor becomes a “case manager”, a medical coordinator for the patient – he or she knows the patient’s full medical history and can guide him or her towards the best treatment solutions, depending on the specialists’ recommendations and his or her specific situation and preferences. It is vital for the patient to have a person who can integrate all the medical information provided by the specialists, translate it into their own language, explain the options and give them sound and objective advice on the best treatment method.