Pains and Pleasures of a Family Physician: 10 Years of Caring for a Family
Andre Matalon
Family Medicine Dept., Tel Aviv University and Kupat Cholim Klalit, Machoz Dan, Petah Tikva
One of the major characteristics of family medicine is the duration of the doctor-patient relationship over a continuum of time. Physician and family contribute to establishing a relationship that is both therapeutic and gratifying. This mutual bond and involvement was called by Balint "a mutual investment company," in which understanding and trust grow over the years. This paper deals with these contributions and investments, and the positive and negative emotions evoked in the family physician by the patient and family. After 20 years of caring for the family presented, it was possible to address more specifically the analysis of the pains and pleasures of this continuity of care, and the sources of the complex bonding between the family and the family physician.