Core Tenets of Professionalism in Family Medicine

Core Professional Values

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that family medicine professionals embody honesty and integrity, reliability and responsibility, respect for others, compassion/empathy, self-improvement, self-awareness, communication and collaboration, and altruism and advocacy in all patient and professional interactions 1
Demonstrating accountability to patients, families, colleagues, and society, including willingness to acknowledge and discuss errors and their consequences, is essential for family medicine professionals, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics 2, 3
Treating all persons with dignity, showing sensitivity to differences in gender, race, and culture, and maintaining appropriate patient confidentiality is crucial in family medicine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 4
Understanding patients' and families' reactions to illness from their perspective rather than the physician's viewpoint is vital for family medicine professionals, as emphasized by the American Academy of Pediatrics 4
Committing to lifelong learning and continuing education to maintain and enhance clinical knowledge and skills is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 4, 5

Establishing collaborative relationships with patients and families, recognizing appropriate boundaries and promoting respect for privacy and nondiscrimination, is essential for family medicine professionals, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics 4
Providing accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective care is crucial in family medicine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 4
Communicating clearly and effectively, including honest disclosure of errors and their potential consequences, is vital for family medicine professionals, as emphasized by the American Academy of Pediatrics 1, 6
Documenting medical care concisely and correctly using the OLFACTORY principles is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 7

Treating colleagues and all healthcare team members with integrity, honesty, and respect is essential for family medicine professionals, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics 4, 8
Recognizing the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the unique contributions of other healthcare professionals is crucial in family medicine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 8
Providing appropriate supervision and referral when needed is vital for family medicine professionals, as emphasized by the American Academy of Pediatrics 8
Avoiding verbal or physical abuse and sexual harassment in the workplace is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 8

Developing collaborative relationships with the wider community to address child health advocacy issues is essential for family medicine professionals, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics 4
Promoting effective use of healthcare and public health resources is crucial in family medicine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 4

Committing to lifelong learning, teaching, and contributing to medical knowledge is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 4
Engaging in self-care and treating team members with respect is vital for family medicine professionals, as emphasized by the American Academy of Pediatrics 4
Communicating effectively and promoting integrity in medical practice is essential for family medicine professionals, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics 4
Participating in professional self-regulation and accountability is crucial in family medicine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 8

Being aware that trainees may learn more from observing daily behaviors than from formal ethics training and modeling appropriate professional behavior at all times is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 6
Remembering that physicians who attend to their own needs are better able to show compassion and empathy to patients is vital for family medicine professionals, as emphasized by the American Academy of Pediatrics 9
Scheduling regular time for updating knowledge and focusing on high-quality, peer-reviewed sources is essential for family medicine professionals, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics 5
Actively seeking opportunities for collaboration and peer learning is crucial in family medicine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 5