The output of family medicine research in developing countries varies vastly from country to country and also within countries. Most research originates from academic departments of family medicine or from collaborative initiatives with researchers in developed countries. There is generally a paucity of researchers, resources, and expertise. Many factors affecting the research output in primary...

This autobiographical article recounts a 60-year career on research and teaching, 40 of which focused on interpersonal violence against other family members. Much of that research was carried despite prevailing beliefs which characterized either the methodology or the theory to be wrong. The article illustrates four underlining themes: iconoclasm; capitalizing on chance occurrences to select re...

Research in family caregiving recently has become more challenging because of the strict protection of privacy mandated in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. We ask when should Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) follow HIPAA rules to the letter and when might they use the waiver option? What is the appropriate balance between the goals of protecting the pri...

This issue of the journal seeks to accelerate interest in research on family planning services and uptake, and behavioral and population outcomes, by sharing findings from studies recently conducted on the continent and presented at the International Family Planning Conference held in Kampala, Uganda, between November 15 and 18, 2009. There are three main themes across the studies: 1) individua...

Background: Family-centered care (FCC) has recently been recognized as the most effective approach in pediatric and family care. Despite the emphasis of healthcare systems on commitment to the philosophy and application of FCC, the nature of this method remains unknown in the related studies. The present study aimed to describe and interpret the experiences of professional and familial caregive...