A physician is a medical professional qualified and licensed to practise medicine, with responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and the promotion of health. Following extensive education and supervised training, physicians apply biomedical knowledge and clinical reasoning to evaluate p…
A physician is a medical professional qualified and licensed to practise medicine, with responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and the promotion of health. Following extensive education and supervised training, physicians apply biomedical knowledge and clinical reasoning to evaluate patients through history-taking, examination, and investigation, to reach diagnoses, and to manage illness using medication, procedures, lifestyle guidance, and referral. They practise across many fields, from general practice and family medicine, which provide continuous, first-contact, and comprehensive care within the community, to hospital-based and specialist disciplines, and they often work within multidisciplinary teams alongside nurses, pharmacists, and allied professionals. Beyond direct clinical care, the physician's role encompasses patient safety, the appropriate and rational use of medicines and investigations, clinical risk management, and the maintenance of professional and ethical standards, as well as leadership, coordination of services, and the management of staff and resources. Physicians also contend with practical and organisational pressures, including workload, satisfaction, and service configuration, that affect the quality and sustainability of care. Their practice is increasingly shaped by evidence-based medicine, quality indicators, and decision-support tools. Topics relevant to the physician's work include clinical diagnosis and management, prescribing and antimicrobial stewardship, patient safety and quality of care, and the organisation and demands of medical practice in general and specialist settings.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 25 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Physician, linking to each citing work.