General practice / family medicine is defined as the medical specialty that manages common and long-term illnesses focusing on overall health and well-being.

The definition should be followed by local examples of diseases within the scope of primary care such as asthma, diabetes as well as end-of-life care. This definition is based on the concept of common illnesses, reflecting the reality that family physicians manage most health conditions in a community.

This core characteristic of general practice encompasses patient-centred care and continuity across the family lifecycle. By being sharply focused, the definition can guide the nature of clinical care in general practice as well as the content of undergraduate and postgraduate training in family medicine.