There are several benefits when it comes to utilizing primary care for your medical needs. In an increasingly complex medical world, having one consistent doctor, who you have gotten to know and who intimately knows your health history has become one of the most important aspects when it comes to our personal healthcare.
Primary healthcare ultimately, is about caring for people, rather than simply treating specific diseases or conditions. You are not a number, a statistic, and you are not a victim to tight time restraints that mean you don’t receive dedicated attention and care from your physician.
Primary care ensures you are provided with comprehensive, accessible care that meets the health needs of you and your family, throughout your lives.
How to Choose Your Doctor
We all have different desires and perceptions when it comes to visiting the doctor. For some, it is an easy, comfortable opportunity to discuss physical concerns or issues. For others, the idea of an interaction with a stranger, particularly about intimate details, can invoke anxiety and concern, because of negative experiences they’ve had in the past, stories from family or friends, or perhaps they simply just don’t know what to expect.
These concerns can be a hindrance when it comes to seeing a doctor, and many often refrain from actually booking an appointment because of the fear of the unknown. This makes the trusted, open line of communication with your primary care physician all the more important and valuable.
There are some important factors to consider when deciding on your healthcare journey, especially when it comes to generating and building that all-important trusted relationship between you and your Physician.
The benefits of Primary Care
By working with a primary care physician, you can ensure a host of benefits to support your lifelong healthcare.
- Preventive Care
Your primary care physician knows you well, which also means they can often assist with preventative care – the best way to stay healthy. Your doctor will be able to guide you and offer a wide range of tests and scans when needed, before any symptoms may show, giving you the best possible head-start and no time to worry.
- Early Detection
Having regular check-ups with your regular doctor helps detect any concerns or issues early when they’re most treatable, helping guide prompt treatment and better scope of results.
- Continuity
Imagine having the same physician see you for everything in your life, from minor illnesses such as a cold or rash, to more practical treatments such as immunizations and blood pressure monitoring. This level of dedicated care means your physician always knows your history. You’re never starting from the beginning at each appointment with your family history.
- Family Health Concerns
Your primary care doctor knows your history and regular check-ups well enough to detect whether you or anyone in your family may be more at risk for certain conditions or diseases, to help you avoid health problems.
- Communication and Trust
When you know your doctor, visits are so much easier, less stressful, and far more productive. It’s easier to talk about sensitive issues with someone you know in a familiar setting than with a stranger in a strange place.
- Convenience
Primary care offers a wide variety of health services: preventive care and screenings; care for chronic conditions such as asthma, hypertension, and diabetes; and acute care for problems like coughs, skin conditions, digestive issues and more. Everything is accessible to you.
