Environmental Concerns in Public Health

Overview

Primary care physicians often are among the first to identify indicators that may suggest a link between a specific exposure and a community health risk. As such, family physicians are uniquely qualified to serve as front-line guardians and educators of public health concerns for their patients.

For these reasons, it is important that family physicians have access to the resources they need to understand and treat health issues that may arise from specific environmental exposures. At the same time, they deserve support in the development of policy solutions that effectively address underlying environmental risks.

As new environmental risks and existing hazards become identified, the AAFP will continue to serve as both a resource and an advocate on behalf of family physicians.