Holistic General Practitioners

The Holistic Approach of the General Practitioner

Although the general practitioner (GP) is often thought of as a basic physician with no specialised interest, this is far from the truth. In practice, a general practitioner will have often chosen to undergo additional training following the completion of the 5-year undergraduate degree of MBChB; two years as a clinical intern, and one year of compulsory community service. The overall result is to produce a healthcare professional with an exceptionally broad range of knowledge and experience when compared with the narrower but deeper focus of specialised physicians or surgeons.

Unlike the specialist, their responsibilities are not limited to treating problems with specific organs such as the heart, the reproductive system, or the musculoskeletal system. Instead, the approach adopted by a general practitioner has to be a more holistic one in which they may be required to consider not just the biological factors associated with an illness but any social and psychological factors that may prove relevant also.

Generally, those patients who present themselves to their GP are in the early stages of an illness in which the symptoms are not yet fully differentiated and will, therefore, be relying on the diagnostic skills of their family physician to determine its nature. It is in the differential-diagnostic process that the extensive specialised knowledge displayed by the average general practitioner is invaluable.

Armed with nothing more sophisticated than a stethoscope, a sphygmomanometer, tongue depressors, and a couple of basic test kits for blood and urine analysis, a GP is required to identify a wide range of acute and chronic illnesses and to provide the appropriate treatment. Where more complex laboratory investigations may be necessary to confirm a suspected diagnosis, they must also know which tests will be required and how to interpret their results.

On occasion, it can be the geographical location of a practice that will serve to define the role of a general practitioner. For instance, in rural areas, a local GP might often be called upon to deliver babies. They could also be required to treat accident victims before arranging transport to a hospital A&E department. Even in urban practices, they might also have to reduce dislocations and fractures or to perform minor surgery such as the suturing of wounds, excision of cysts, and the collection of biopsy samples for histopathology. The bottom line is that a general practitioner is a specialist in primary care and an invaluable component of healthcare systems throughout the world and we need a lot more of them in South Africa.

At Intercare, you can quickly and easily secure an appointment with a general practitioner using an online app.