Family medicine
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Family practice, especially when applied to the Community-oriented Primary Care model, needs to incorporate the epidemiological profile and health care needs of a particular community. The rapidly growing Latino population is creating a great number of largely Latino communities. While they tend to have high poverty rates and low education rates, their family and health profiles contradict many assumptions made about poor, underserved minority groups. ⋯ Latinos do, however, have higher death rates due to motor vehicle accidents and cirrhosis than Anglos, blacks, or Asians and a diabetes death rate higher than Anglos or Asians. Surprisingly, Latinos have lower age-adjusted death rates due to drug-related causes and weapons-related causes than Anglos or blacks, but substantially higher than Asians. It is suggested that, much against the stereotype, Latinos should be considered a high-level wellness population for whom family practice, based on prevention and primary care, would be an ideal match.