A primary care doctor is a general health expert specializing in a range of healthcare needs for both a first-time undiagnosed patient and continuing patients diagnosed with various ailments. Since they are involved with particular patients for the long-term, their services are not limited to disease treatment plans only but also offer guidance to patients on a variety of health matters as noted by them concerning a patient. Assistant physicians and nurses sometimes also offer primary care.
Why Have a Primary Care Doctor?
Having a primary care doctor for your family comes with immense benefits. They’ll be the first stop physician to assess all your family members’ health issues. Over time, they’ll be better placed to advise on handling potentially chronic health issues judging from factors pulled from a long period of diagnosis records. They are also best placed to give you leads to a renowned specialist in case one is required and preventative healthcare advice.
It is recommended to make regular visits to your doctor, more so as we age, to increase the chances of detecting an illness or condition in its onset period. This will make it much easier to treat or manage. Check out our professional doctors at Partida Corona Medical Center or any other primary care doctors around you to start the journey to monitor your health and wellness today.
Categories of Primary Care Doctors
While primary doctors can be quite a number, since doctors from varying specialties may venture, there are at least five top common categories we shall look at. Selecting either of these will largely depend on you or your family’s focus on what you expect.
Family Medicine Doctors
They have expertise in a wide range of medical knowledge on the diagnosis and treatments of various ailments cutting across all stages in life. They provide personalized care for the whole family, from infants to the elderly, and keep tabs on their treatment history.
Internal Medicine Doctors
Internal medicine doctors are unique because they are only limited to providing specialized care and treatment to adults. They center around major and minor ailments that may affect adulthood and focus on monitoring their development, from early adulthood to old age. They are well versed with the internal workings of an adult human body.
Pediatric Medicine Doctors
Pediatric doctors are focused on providing healthcare solutions to children, from newborn children to adolescents. They treat all conditions that can affect children within that bracket, from minor to complex ailments. They have additional skills on how best to converse with children and an in-depth understanding of their developmental stages.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Doctors (OB-GYNs)
They are focused on women’s reproductive health issues; the OB is focused on a woman’s health during the whole pregnancy period while the GYNs diagnose, treat, and care for women’s reproductive health from teenage years to menopause. They provide regular screenings and tests on a variety of women’s reproductive health.
Geriatricians
Their focus is on providing diagnosis, treatment, and specialized care for patients over 60 years. Geriatricians are experts in treating and managing old age mental conditions like dementia. They analyze a wide array of conditions that are prone to develop beyond 60 years.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Primary Care Doctor
To ensure that you and your family reap maximum health and wellness benefits from your primary care doctor, there are factors you need to consider when choosing one. After all, it is proven that people with care doctors have notably higher-value experiences and benefited more from high-value care, and you wouldn’t want you or your family to miss out. Below are some factors you might want to consider.
Insurance Coverage and Service Costs
The best fit primary care doctor has to accommodate your budgetary plans. After identifying one, go a further step to inquire of their service costs. You’ll also need to confirm if your insurance coverage works with them.
Location
How convenient is the location of your primary care doctor of choice to you and your family? Consider this factor in case of medical emergencies and how fast you can be in for appointments.
Assess if Your Comfort and Confidence is Assured
Visit the care doctor’s work premises, assess the staff and the general office ambiance. Ensure you feel comfortable and confident in them as this will be a long-term relationship of frank communication on you and your family’s health conditions.
Reviews and Testimonials
Friends and family who have a history with the care doctor will give some of the best genuine testimonials on their experiences. You can also look out for online reviews on their website from patients who’ve been there.