If you have health insurance, you have probably been asked by your health insurance provider to choose a primary care doctor. A primary care doctor can be an internist, a family practice doctor, or a geriatric specialist, depending on your age group and needs. It is important that you have a primary care doctor for a number of reasons that has nothing to do with health insurance.
Coordinate Care
It is generally a good idea to have one person in charge of coordinating care. Just like you would have one person primarily in charge of coordinating a project at work, so too is it best for one person to be the point of contact for healthcare. Having one point of contact makes it more likely that drug interactions and other conflicting therapies will be caught before they become a problem. These doctors can also make sure that all of your specialists are on the same page.
Preventative Medicine
The old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This statement holds true when it comes to healthcare. It is always less expensive, less painful, and less life threatening to prevent health conditions from happening or getting worse than to treat it later. Preventative medicine may include things such as taking maintenance medications for blood pressure or cholesterol to mitigate the risk of other health conditions.
Early Detection
If you have a primary care doctor that you see periodically on a schedule, it will help make sure that any health conditions that might arise will be detected and diagnosed early. Even if your primary care doctor has to send you to a specialist for diagnosis and treatment, they will be able to recognize symptoms and get the ball rolling. The earlier a medical condition is detected and diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.
If you are looking for a new primary care doctor, contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment.
