What is general practice and multidisciplinary medicine?

General practice provides comprehensive patient care through the continuity and coordination of care in towns and cities. It is above all a local medical service that plays an essential role in monitoring elderly patients and those in precarious situations.

Multidisciplinary medicine, on the other hand, is aimed at multi-pathological patients requiring comprehensive and sometimes complex care in the context of hospitalisation. Most of the multidisciplinary medical services at Elsan clinics are geriatrically oriented.

What does a general practitioner do?

A general practitioner, also known as a GP, sees all patients regardless of age and pathology. The GP’s field of intervention is particularly broad, helping patients to specify ailments, carrying out general testing (e.g. tension, reflexes, cardiac auscultation...) or specific clinical examinations, making diagnoses, prescribing medication and monitoring chronic diseases. If necessary, the general practitioner arranges for additional testing (blood tests, medical imaging) and refers patients to specialist doctors and/or paramedical professionals (nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists, etc.). The general practitioner also acts on a daily basis in health promotion and disease prevention (vaccination, screening, nutritional advice, contraception).

How to find a general practitioner

Since 2005, all patients in France over 16 years of age are required to declare a doctor as their GP (médecin traitant) to their health insurance (Assurance maladie). The declaration must be completed with the selected doctor. This ensures tailor-made prevention and the coordination of medical monitoring with other healthcare professionals. Like the family doctor, the general practitioner is a key partner over the long term. In order for the patient to be reimbursed for medical procedures at the maximum rate, consultations with specialists must be at the behest of the GP, except in certain very special cases:

• A gynaecologist for periodic gynaecological clinical examinations, including screening procedures, contraceptive prescription and monitoring, pregnancy follow-up and drug-induced termination (abortion)
• An ophthalmologist for the prescription and renewal of glasses, screening procedures and the monitoring of glaucomaun
•  A psychiatrist or neuropsychiatrist if the patient is between the ages of 16 and 25
• A stomatologist, except for heavy surgical procedures..

It is possible for patients to change their GP, without giving any specific reason, simply by informing Social Security.