Tips for choosing a New Primary Care Physician

Your primary care physician is the second most important person after your immediate family. You should have a very open mind when you are choosing your primary care physician. Hence why, not picking up a random name out of your insurance’s list may not be the smartest move.  

So if you are clueless about what your primary care physician criteria should be like. Here is what most experts have to say.

Everything you need to know about when choosing a new primary care physician

Good Location of your Primary Doctor is Important!

Not having your doctor at a location near you is the biggest mistake most people make. According to a medical study published by Michigan Medical School, a patient’s odds of recovery decreases if the primary care physician is far.  I remember this one time I had to travel towns to get an appointment with my primary care doctor, and while on our way my body temperature terribly scooted, which of course resulted in a hospital emergency. My overwhelming ride or die experience with my doctor in Pakistan, is just another stressor on how location really matters.  Having a good distance may not seem like a big deal, but in case of emergency, the distance may become the only hurdle.

Your Physician’s Availability Matters

Your physician’s experience and specialty may be of no use if you are unable to land an appointment with him. In worst-case scenarios, waiting for an appointment can go on for months! Therefore, staying ahead of your A-game by making some room for your regular physician check-ups in your weekly schedule, is important. Make sure you have talked it out further with your primary care physician. If you are someone who is always working around the clock, and hardly has time for creating a meeting you can always opt for online consultation. It is always better to know about your physician’s availability especially if you are ill or might be prone to immediate medical attention.

Get Reviews on Your New Primary Care Physician

It would not harm you if you ring up a few people to get more information on your current new doctor. It will actually help you know more about your Physician. More so, you can even see if your medical history matches with the Physician’s area of expertise. Most of the time you can consult your primary care physician for your other healthcare concerns as well. For example, if you are unable to find a specific physician, having a general physician with years of experience and good reviews can be a better option. You should also know about the type of doctor you have chosen for yourself. At times people go for general physicians because that is what everyone is going for. You should opt for a subspecialist if you have some specific health concerns. Please keep in mind that a general physician is not an actual specialty, but an overall doctor to help you prevent mainstream diseases.

How Comfortable Are You Opening Up?

Your primary care physician should know everything about you. All of your family and personal medical history should be laid out in front of your physician. However, the most important aspect is whether you are comfortable enough to tell your personal details to the physician. You should be able to communicate with the physician well. Always opt for the physician with whom you are at ease communicating about your health problems.

Your Doctor should not make you feel rushed

Your doctor should be the one who is helping you understand your concerns with your pace, not straight out of his medical degree. If you have opted for a great general physician who will not give you more than 5 mins of his time, then that might feel like a rushed feeling. You should leave your physician’s office fully satisfied with the examination. As mentioned earlier you should be comfortable enough to open up about your most intimate health care problems. Your doctor should be able to give you enough time, deal with your concerns which makes you satisfied and draft a treatment plan most suitable to you.

Choose A doctor at Your Own Liking

In the end, the decision lies with you. There are so many ways you can seek a good primary care doctor but the decision is purely yours.

Make sure you are completely satisfied and happy with your doctor preference, because at the end of the day it is YOU who matters the most!