A primary care doctor is the first contact for any disease or condition. If your primary care doctor does not know as much as your spouse or best friend knows about your health, then you are missing out on one of the best relationships you could have, especially when it concerns your health.
A private doctor near me or primary care doctor is not only a professional health caregiver but someone that knows all about your medical history, lifestyle, personality and medical preferences. When you have a close relationship with your primary care doctor, it makes a massive difference in your health.
Most people who have access to primary care doctors rarely die from diseases such as cancer, stroke, and heart problems. A primary care provider would always care for their patients even when a specialist is involved, and this has a positive impact on health care experience.
As you get older, all your needs change especially those concerning your health because your body changes and this accompanies some functional ability changes. If you have the right primary care doctor, you will understand your body changes, and you have someone to guide you to live with these changes.
These ten tips below will help you choose the right primary doctor to cater to your immediate health needs.
- Ask around
If you want to get the perfect primary care doctor, the first step is asking around for recommendations. Your friends and family should be able to point you in the right direction of a great primary care doctor. You may also decide to ask any other person you trust for any skilled doctor they know. Bare in mind that you may get good recommendations based on these people’s standard, but a doctor that was suitable for someone you know may not be suitable for you.
- Map it out
Your primary care doctor is supposed to be your first contact for your everyday health needs, so it is best to look out for a doctor located within a convenient distance. If you are not feeling well, you may not be able to travel a long distance to see a doctor.
With your primary care doctor located nearby, you would be willing to book appointments for regular examinations and other preventive care procedures.
- Ensure your insurance plan is covered
When you have a few options to choose from, check if the primary care doctor accepts your health insurance plan. If you have any health insurance plan, ask the doctor if he/she takes patients from that plan. Alternatively, contact your insurance provider to inquire if the doctor is in their plan network. Most plans would charge more for doctors that are not in their plan, while some do not cover payments for doctors outside their network plan.
- Do a quality check
Most times, before you get any service or product, you should do a little research about the quality of work or product you are about to get. This should also apply to choose a doctor. You may check with your insurance company for information about the quality ratings of the primary health care doctor you are about to make an appointment with.
Ensure that you also check with the appropriate certification board to know if the primary care doctor is board certified. Board-certified doctors meet the licensing requirements to practice, and they pass a comprehensive exam in internal medicine. Primary care doctors have to be abreast of the latest developments in their field to keep this certification.
- Place a cold call
Before you choose a primary care doctor, call the doctor’s office to know the first impression of the clinic. Ask about their new patients’ program and pay close attention to the office staff’s phone etiquette because it says a lot about the practice
- Find out about the practice’s logistics and consider an in-person meeting
When you call the doctor’s office, ask some basic questions to have an idea about their services. Answers to questions like how they handle prescription refills, how they convey results of a private blood test London to their patients, if they call to remind a patient about an overdue appointment or flu vaccine, and their means of scheduling an appointment are essential.
- Keep your needs in mind
Everyone has unique health needs, and these needs change with time, so consider asking the doctor his/her area of expertise.
For example, some primary care doctors have a particular interest in heart problems, and someone in your family suffered from a heart condition, you may want to consider that doctor. Others are good at areas like sports medicine, and if you are not a serious athlete, the doctor may not be of much help to you.
If you have several complex health issues and ageing, it would be best to place preference on a geriatrician.
- Look at the bigger picture
Ensure that the doctor’s philosophies in life are similar to yours. Ask questions to know if the doctor’s outlook to patients matches yours. Questions like why did you go into primary health care? This will help you understand the doctor and check if you want to entrust your health in the doctor’s hands.
- Avoid culture shock
Your primary care professional needs to be culturally-versed. Find a doctor that you are comfortable with and one that understands your cultural and religious convictions. This helps you have a smooth relationship with your doctor.
- Trust yourself
Your primary care doctor is going to attend to all your medical needs for a long time, so you need to trust him or her. You should also feel comfortable to share all your concerns and problems, so if you don’t feel right about the doctor, trust your guts to search for some other primary care doctor that may make you feel better.
If you’ve not found the right primary care doctor, contact Blood London on 020 71830244 to book your first appointment with a primary care doctor that you can trust to cater for your health problems.
