Clarifying Family as Context of Care and Family as Focus of Care in Family Health

Families are intricately involved in health-related care. In fact, one of the primary purposes of family is to ensure the health and well-being of its members. A study of 138 family physicians and 4,454 directly observed visits found that a family member was present in nearly one third of visits. Seventy-two percent of established patients reported that multiple family members see that same doctor. There are at least two health care approaches that focus on families: A family history approach uses family information as a background in care of the patient but does not delve into family problems and issues; in contrast, a family orientation style views the family as the unit of care, includes multiple family members, and addresses family issues during health care ...