Paradigms of family medicine: bridging traditions with new concepts; meeting the challenge of being the good doctor from 2011

Family medicine/general practice remains the foundation stone of health service in the community. As the most interesting and challenging of medical disciplines it is based on six fundamental principles-primary care, family care, domiciliary care and continuing care which are all designed to achieve preventive and personal care [1]. In the contemporary climate where medical services are fragmented and there are competing interests there is a greater need than ever for the generalist. The patient whether sick or worried well requires a trustworthy consistent focal point and who better than the caring family doctor to take responsibility for the patient's welfare as trusted friend and advocate.In 2008 the world health organisation (WHO) reaffirmed the importance of primary health care with its report "Primary health care now more than ever" [2]. The commentary emphasises that 'primary care brings promotion and prevention, cure and care together in a safe, effective and socially productive way at the interface between the population and the health system'. The key challenge is to "put people first since good care is about people" [2]. In 2009 the WHO Global Conference on Health Promotion resolved to reinvigorate primary health care, emphasising that effective health promotion is based on the renewal of this discipline [3]. To achieve this ideal the challenge for each of us is to be 'the good doctor' so that collectively we can make a significant difference.An interesting survey on patient care by representative health consumers conducted at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne revealed that the most important attributes of good doctors were (in some order of importance) caring, responsibility, empathy, interest, concern, competence, knowledge, confidence, sensitivity, perceptiveness, diligence, availability and manual skills. I do believe that we, as family physicians/general practitioners, deserve appropriate acknowledgement for outstanding service provided so often under