ADOPTING A FAMILY-ORIENTED APPROACH

Although many family physicians believe that a family-oriented approach to patient care leads to better outcomes, and in spite of a growing body of literature on the principles and theory of working with families in primary care, most physicians have been very slow to move from an individual approach to a family approach with their patients. This paper will examine some of the issues involved in the adoption of innovations by practitioners and explore their implications for the increased inclusion of the family in medical practice.