Canadian family physician Médecin de famille canadien
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A survey of recent family medicine graduates showed that two thirds were doing no emergency work. Those who had originally planned to practise emergency medicine were more likely to be doing it than those who had not. More women than men dropped their plans to do emergency work. Two thirds of those who had dropped their plans thought their training had influenced the decision.
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Family physicians can play an important role in helping patients and their families to discuss life-sustaining treatments and to complete advance directives. This article reviews the legal status of, and empirical studies on, advance directives and addresses some important clinical questions about their use relevant to family practice.
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The current emphasis on health promotion raises questions among experienced health professionals. Many wonder whether such care differs from what we have always done and have doubts about cost effectiveness and government motives. This paper explores the latest meaning of the term health promotion, the evolution of strategies to promote health, and the implications of these strategies for practising family medicine.
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Family physicians regularly treat victims of rear-end vehicle accidents. This article describes how taking a detailed history of the accident and understanding the significance of the physical events is helpful in understanding and anticipating patients' morbidity and clinical course. Eight questions to ask patients are suggested to help physicians understand the severity of injury.