Do You Need a Primary Care Physician

If you argue that you’re young and healthy, and thus don’t need a primary care physician, then you are arguing on a wrong note. A Primary Care Physician (PCP) is always your first point of contact whenever any health issue arises. If you need a specialist, it’s the PCP who refers you to one. This primary doctor is familiar with your health conditions as usually he/she is the person who knows your health history. As PCPs are familiar with your medical history, they can make informed decisions when it comes to treatment options.

How to Find the Right Primary Care Physician?

Whether you are looking for a primary care doctor in Mission Hills or in some other place, there are few basic things that you have to be keep in mind.

•    Find the right person keeping in mind the needs of your family as you would like to get everyone treated at the same place rather than going to different physicians for different people in your family.

•   The doctor’s clinic should be in proximity or else you are likely to find excuses to skip your regular check-ups.

•    He/she should be easily accessible.

•    You should be comfortable with the doctor and not feel pressured.

How  Can Primary Care Physicians Help?

•    A PCP keeps a vigil over your health for long duration which enhances the likelihood of receiving better diagnosis and treatment. When you go to a specialist, he/she is not aware of your health in general, and they also know that you are not going to visit them often. Hence, they might order some extra tests, which might not be required just in order to cover all bases at once. The PCP, on the other hand, is familiar with your medical history, your temperament, habits etc. and can make out if your problem is really intense or not.

•    PCP is your trusted aide with whom you can consult. Suppose you took expert advice from two different specialists on a particular matter and both suggested something different and you got confused. As you have trust in your PCP, you can take his/her help in sorting out things.

•    Getting an appointment with a specialist if the need arises is easier through a PCP as they maintain collaborative relationships with different specialists.

•    As you go for regular check-ups to your PCP, there are fewer chances of getting any chronic problems. Having a Primary Care Physician is like being proactive and preventive at the same time.

These are few of the many benefits of having a Primary Care Physician. Having a PCP is always recommended as the person is trained to look at the bigger picture and suggest remedies as and when required.