Family physicians can best prepare for the next century by staying true to the values that have guided them in the past. Practicing quality family medicine is fundamental to the type of future our patients expect and deserve. As we navigate the future let us look deeply into the water, judge the currents and see our own reflection there. Instead of forecasting what will change, let us recognize the things that will stay the same. Let us identify elements basic to health, illness and caring relationships that will likely form the foundation for any future.
Family medicine is based upon continuity.
We must presume a continuity in needs and values that will carry our mission forward into the future we will share with our patients and our communities. We all need healers People in need seek comfort, help and direction. All societies have created special roles for healers, complete with their own rituals, language and symbols of authority. People turn to them in times of illness, distress and life transitions. In our society, these universal traditions are combined with the modern magic of science and technology.