Long Term Family Doctor Decreases Chance of Death

How important are new tests to diagnose and treat disease? Or improved surgical techniques, speedier emergency care and doctors specializing in various fields of medicine? The fact is that all improvements in medical care make life easier for patients and save lives. But a long overdue English report shows the family doctor (FD) also helps to prolong life. Sir Denis Pereira Gray, former head of the Royal College of General Practitioners, spear-headed research that analyzed 22 different studies. His conclusion, published in the British Medical Journal, claims that a long-term FD who knows you inside and out decreases the risk of early death by up to 53 percent. So, in this era of heart transplantation, medical advances, and drug therapy, the FD remains the solid bedrock of patient care.