Fundamentals of Family Medicine, Third Edition, describes the current approach to common problems in family practice. The book tells how family physicians provide high-quality, comprehensive, and ongoing health care for patients and families, based on current evidence and time-tested methods in clinical practice.

Clinical scenarios that include case studies and questions for group discussion reinforce the book's clinical topics. The clinical scenarios all concern members of the Nelson family- a multigenerational extended family whose members visit the family physician with a variety of health concerns and whose dynamics evolve from chapter to chapter. The discussion questions allow the group to consider both the biomedical and psychosocial aspects of problems such as headache, obstructive airway disease, diabetes mellitus, athletic injuries, domestic violence, care of the dying patient, and the family physicians's role in dealing with terrorist events.

The book is intended to be a reference source for the care of diseases family physicians are likely to see and as the course textbook for medical students in family medicine clerkships in medical school. This book will help health professionals provide up-to-date care for their patients, and will allow students to view clinical issues through the eyes of the family physician.

Fundamentals of Family Medicine, Third Edition, ideally is used as a companion to Family Medicine: Principles and Practice, Sixth Edition, edited by Robert B. Taylor et al.