Core Values in Family Medicine: Inspiring Global Change

This new book explores the core values of family medicine nationally, regionally, and globally, to identify if and/or where there is consensus and where these diversify in relation to contextual factors. Aligned with the WHO’s definition of primary healthcare and goal of universal health coverage and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the book documents a global enquiry by teams of experts representing each world region on the vision, mission, core values and principles, and definition of family medicine in different countries. Each team has adopted different approaches and strategies in their exploration, findings, and conclusions.

A common identity for family doctors is important for research agendas, training, recognition of the specialty, and advocacy. However, there is much diversity within and across the regions in the training and the practice of the discipline of family medicine, reflected in the core values. The ultimate goal is a shared vocabulary of humanity for colleagues throughout the world, enriched rather than hindered by their differences.

KEY FEATURES:

1. Addresses the core values and principles in family medicine and primary care across the globe, built around the central elements of care that is patient centred, equable, and community and science oriented, with professionalism and cooperation as key themes
2. Supports primary care/family medicine providers in their dual goals of caring for the whole person and adapting to the evolving needs of the population of people under their care, tailored to reflect the specific needs in different world regions
3. Considers the challenges of fragmented care, digital technologies, comorbidities, and growing health inequity
4. Accessible, practical, and international

The book will be an invaluable guide for general practitioners, family physicians, family medicine specialists, and other primary care doctors and a useful reference for other primary care health professionals including practice, school and other primary care nurses, medical assistants, paramedics, and community pharmacists. It will also serve as recommended or supplementary reading in undergraduate medical and nursing programmes, in university-based postgraduate courses and master programmes in relevant primary care–related topics, and in vocational training programmes in general practice/family medicine.

Anna Stavdal, MD, is a family doctor based in Oslo, Norway, where she has been providing care to patients since 1989. In addition to her clinical practice, she holds the position of Associate Professor at Oslo University, where she actively contributes to the education and training of future healthcare professionals. With primary areas of interest in health systems and the core values of family medicine, she is a passionate advocate for family medicine and primary care, and she actively engages in public debates, sharing her expertise through columns and speaking engagements. Anna Stavdal is Honorary Fellow of the College of General Practice in Sri Lanka and holds an honorary doctorate at the University of Oslo, Finland. Her leadership roles within family medicine organisations since 1994 demonstrate her commitment to advancing the field on various levels. She has held influential positions in Norwegian, Nordic, European, and global family medicine organisations. She assumed the prestigious position of President of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) from November 2021. Since November 2023 she holds the office of Past President. Her role as the head of this global organisation underscores her ability to shape and guide initiatives that promote family medicine worldwide.

Johann Agust Sigurdsson, MD, GP, Dr Med, has worked as a general practitioner for 40 years. Now emeritus, he served as a professor of family medicine at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik for 23 years and as a professor in general practice at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway, for 5 years. His primary research areas include cardiovascular epidemiology, infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, modelling studies on the implementation of clinical guidelines, childbirth and health, ethical issues and dilemmas, and multimorbidity. Throughout his career, Johann has been actively involved in the professional development of general practice/family medicine (GP/FM) in the Nordic countries. He was the National Editor of the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care during 1986–2010, president of three Nordic congresses on general practice, and played a key role in implementing specialist training in general practice in Iceland. Additionally, he served as Chair of the Nordic Federation of General Practice from 2017 to 2023. During this time, the Nordic colleges, alongside Anna Stavdal, President of WONCA Europe and later WONCA World, took the lead in advancing the moral intent and core values of GP/FM among the Nordic colleges and in WONCA Europe.

Felicity Goodyear-Smith, MBChB, MGP, MD, FRNZCGP (Dist), is a general practitioner and professor of general practice and primary healthcare at the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. She has a long involvement with WONCA including past Chair of its Working Party on Research. She has previously co-edited five books in the WONCA Family Medicine series and has also contributed chapters to three other books in this series. Dr Goodyear-Smith was the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Primary Health Care, which she has been co-editing since 2022. She has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers as well as a number of books and book chapters. She has always seen that a core feature of family medicine is the trusted relationship between clinician and patient and family, as well as with other members of the primary care team. She was excited to become a member of the steering group for this Global Core Values project, which extends the previous enquiry on the nature of our discipline from Nordic and European countries to all regions of the world. It is a privilege to work with colleagues across the globe. While this book is one result, more important is the ongoing process of engagement.