Keywords
Communication; Fable; Methodological proposal; Significant learning; Family medicine; Integrality in health
Abstract
The conceptual systematization in the speciality of Family Medicine has not matched with practice. As it has been renewed and extended its practice, its conceptual foundation was forgotten. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve more meaningful representations of the fundamental concepts of Family Medicine, and facilitate the transfer of these to clinical practice. But, these concepts can be difficult to understand and explain, even for experienced physicians in the specialty. The fable is an adult education method that can serve to intuitively understand abstract concepts by linking them to specific situations, for facilitating their assimilation. In this book -Fables of Family Medicine: A collection of clinical fables that teach the Principles of Family Medicine-, its short fables present animals, plants, minerals and things that think and speak as if they were human beings; beings or objects that are given the opportunity to think, feel and speak, and they are “patients” who come to the consultation with the family doctor. Each fable is a “great lesson” about “a fundamental concept of Family Medicine”. These concepts, elements or fundamental dimensions of Family Medicine, presented by fables in the book are, among others: comprehensiveness, panoramic view, circular causality, context and contextualization, uncertainty, complexity, coordination, variability, clinic interview, relationship doctor-patient, companion of the patient, empathy-assertiveness, biopsychosocial model, functional vs organic, continuity of care, symptoms of the disease vs experience of the pathology, diagnosis, anticipatory care, prevention, epidemiology, medicalization, technology, resources, family, community, treatment, strategic planning, co-development and co-treatment, multimorbidity, healing, participation, empowerment, focusing on the process, prognosis, terminal care, mental health, health and sickness.
Citation
Turabian JL. Fables of Family Medicine: A Collection of Clinical Fables that Teach the Principles of Family Medicine. SM J Fam Med. 2017; 1(1): 1006.