The role of the family doctor used to be to care for the family and advise on preventive measures such as vaccinations, physical activity, and early detection of cancer, diabetes, lung disease, etc. These measures prevented acute disease and reduced fractured hips and various emergencies. Prevention is not a “Where do we get the best bang for the buck” approach; it’s about long-term caring and building trust. Everyone realizes that regular car maintenance prevents catastrophic failure and that it is money well spent in the long run. We have reached a point where the health care system has become an overwhelmed human repair shop. We are told not to go to the doctor unless we are really ill, and then to go to emergency. It is imperative to find a system of primary care whose focus is prevention.
—Charles Ludgate, MD
Victoria

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