Occupation, culture and environment are aspects of the community that affect patient care. Knowing which diseases or health problems have the highest incidence in the community influences the diagnosis made by family physicians and helps them make decisions about community education and service. There are many community resource that the family physician can use to provide optimum patient care. With continuity of care, a trusting, long-term relationship develops between the physician and patient. If the patient does not trust the physician, the chances for effective care are minimised.
Continuity is probably the most important principle of family medicine.
In family medicine the continuum of care is the patient, the episodes is the disease. For other specialties, the continuum is the disease and the episode is the patient. Family physicians are committed to providing care to patients and their families over time. Family physicians use time as a diagnostic and theurapeutic tool and are committed to contracting with patients for long-term care. The physician who practices continuity recognises and accepts as a commitment to the patient's future.