And they should help their patients feel empowered to improve their own health. Children are taught from a young age to practice organization in order to be successful in school. A good doctor knows how to make a patient feel as though they are being cared for, that their concerns are valid, and that they are being heard. Edna Ma, an anesthesiologist at Surgery Medical Center. Ma adds. When presented with befuddling symptoms, a good doctor should allow their inherent curiosity to lead them to an accurate diagnosis, even if it means tapping into additional resources.
Doggett says. Ask people you trust to give you referrals. Talk to friends, family, or a health advisor about the kind of PCP you're looking for, and ask if they know any doctors who might meet your needs. You may also want to call the company in case their online directory is out of date.
Check their location and office hours. If you expect to go to appointments during your work day, you might prefer a PCP near your job. Interview your new doctor. When you visit a doctor for the first time, here are a few things to consider: How long does it take to get an appointment? Does the staff seem organized? Over-testing can be harmful.
Misinterpreting tests can be harmful. Tertiary prevention. Once you have a chronic disease, tertiary prevention is medical care to avoid the complications of that disease. For example, if you have diabetes, there are many things you can do to lower your risk of heart, kidney, eye and nerve complications. Depending on the disease you have, specialists may play a role in your tertiary prevention care.
In those cases, your PCP should help you bring the input of specialists back to your master plan for health and well-being. Geriatrics Nursing Specialist. Continue Learning about Healthcare Basics How do hospitalists work with specialists and other doctors?
MountainView Hospital. Hospitalists ask other specialists for consults, support in the emergency room, and more. How easy will it be to find safe and inexpensive parking? In areas without well-developed public transportation systems, access to primary care physicians could be severely restricted.
Are evening, weekend, or on-call services available? How long does it generally take to get in to see the doctor? What about telemedicine — does this physician offer online advice or evaluations? Is there an online patient hub where you can make appointments, ask for prescription refills, complete forms, and communicate with the office? Studies show that patients find online services like these convenient, time-saving, and personally empowering. Family doctors, pediatricians , internists , OB-GYNs , and geriatricians are all considered primary care providers.
If you want to work with a primary care doctor who is specially trained to deal with a particular demographic group or medical condition, you can check to see if the doctor is board-certified in that area.
Board certification is an extra step doctors can take to verify that they are experts in a particular field. The American Board of Medical Specialties maintains a searchable database of board-certified doctors called Certification Matters.
Medicare also offers a Physician Compare tool to help you find doctors who specialize in the kind of care you need. If you are insured, your insurance company may also provide a ranking or rating system so you can easily locate doctors in your area who provide excellent care. Making appointments and rescheduling them, resolving billing issues, asking for refills — many of your interactions with your primary care provider will be handled by these unsung heroes of the medical profession.
When you interact with the staff, are they courteous and patient? Do they respect your privacy, your name and pronoun choices, along with your other boundaries? Do they help to facilitate contact between you and the doctors? Some doctors practice by themselves and some practice as part of a group.
The quality of your care may not be affected, but your overall satisfaction might decrease if you see someone other than your regular provider. When you visit the office, take a look around.
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