Risks and benefits of a family systems approach to medical care

The ''art of medicine'' is struggling for survival in medical education, practice, and research. The authors embrace the biopsychosocial model as an ideal new paradigm for medicine and propose that the family systems approach provides the best available vehicle for applying the biopsychosocial model to everyday medical practice and research. Such an approach would require major changes in the way health care is delivered and offers both benefits and risks for family physicians to consider. One important change would involve the sharing of physicians' power in a health care system that emphasizes collaboration among individuals, families, and a variety of professionals. Such revolutionary changes should be approached with caution.