Book Review

Family Medicine: Principles and practice

N Engl J Med 1998; 338:1321-1322April 30, 1998

Article

Family Medicine: Principles and practice
Fifth edition. Edited by Robert B. Taylor, with Alan K. David, Thomas A. Johnson, Jr., D. Melessa Phillips, and Joseph E. Scherger. 1191 pp., illustrated. New York, Springer-Verlag, 1997. $130. ISBN: 0-387-94958-5

Family medicine is the broadest of the generalist disciplines. Physicians who practice this specialty need access to up-to-date information on a broad range of disorders. They practice in a setting that emphasizes health promotion and preventive care while at the same time attempting to meet most of the short-term and long-term needs of a population that varies widely in age. The task of writing a comprehensive reference for this diverse field is challenging, to say the least. The fifth edition of Family Medicine: Principles and Practice is now available to serve the need for such a textbook. The editors of Family Medicine have identified two important emerging themes in family practice: managed care and the need to base the management of disease on published scientific evidence.

The goal of this book is to cover 90 percent of the problems seen by a generalist in daily practice. To accomplish this task, the editors assembled a large group of contributing authors. Each chapter has at least one family physician as a coauthor. Several new chapters have been added: “Population-Based Health Care,” “Health Promotion,” “Genetic Disorders,” “Behavioral Problems of Children,” “Somatoform Disorders,” “Clinical Guidelines,” and “Managed Care.” All chapters have been updated with current medical evidence related to diagnosis and management.

Given the difficult task of covering such a broad field, Family Medicine does a creditable job. The chapters are succinct and well illustrated. Inevitably, changes in management have occurred since the publication date. The illustrations in the section on dermatology suffer from a lack of color and should perhaps have been omitted. Most family physicians will find this textbook helpful for ready reference. It will also be used by students and residents striving to increase their scientific knowledge of the field. It remains to be seen whether newer methods of information technology will take over the function this book ably serves. For the present, books still have a useful role as reference tools for practicing family physicians.

David N. Little, M.D.
University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 05405