Primary Care Physician
Hazelwood Family Medicine
Going to the doctor only when you are ill is not enough to maintain proper health. It’s important to have a healthcare team that actively works to prevent disease and tackles your health concerns and illnesses, even before they become an issue. It’s important to have a regular checkup with your primary care physician (PCP) to ensure that your blood pressure, labs, and other vitals are in check with what is expected for your body type and age. However, not all Americans take preventative care as seriously as others. Keep in mind prevention is much easier than healing when it comes to your health. That’s why it is so important to not only have a primary care physician but also have one that you trust and can be honest with.
We all have skeletons in our closets. Maybe you don’t eat as healthy as you should, or perhaps you don’t exercise as often. These are things that we all know that we need to do but don’t always follow through on, and that’s okay. When you see your primary care physician, we are not expecting you to be a perfect person. In fact, we would expect you to have some indulgences from time to time. However, it’s important to answer our questions about your lifestyle as honestly as possible. Many people think they can get away with a little white lie. However, this will affect, in many cases, how we would go about making recommendations for your health.
Furthermore, many of these little white lies show up as lies in your evaluation. This only gives your primary care physician reasons to not trust what you are saying. This can lead to trust issues among healthcare workers.
All in all, if you are looking for the best primary care physician experience, it starts with you. Be yourself, be honest, and remember, nobody is perfect. We don’t expect perfection when coming through our doors.
What to Expect from a Primary Care Physician
Your PCP will take the time to go over your evaluation and what you have told them. We may request labs and take some notes on your various vitals. In some cases, there may be other testing done to ensure that you are in good health. Many times these tests are screenings to ensure that you don’t have anything going on that we aren’t picking up on.
When you schedule an appointment with your PCP, you should have a good knowledge of your history. If you are on medications from another physician, be sure to bring the bottles with you, along with the name and information of that physician. People often see other doctors for various things, and it’s important that everyone on your medical team knows about one another. Don’t go in assuming we can see everything in your medical history. While much of this is on record, it is important to understand that digital medical records are not perfect, as with all medical records. This is why communication with your PCP is so important.
PCPs are a part of the family. We take the time to get to know our patients, their families, and their histories. However, this will take time. We will welcome you with an initial exam if you are new to Hazelwood Family Medicine. We hope that you stay and build a history with our practice. Furthermore, we will make every effort to get to know you as a person and not just as a number. Building a solid relationship with our patients is important to us.
What Makes Primary Care Important?
Nobody likes to feel like a number in a big, impersonal system, especially when it comes to something as crucial as your health.
Primary care is intended to be your primary source of medical treatment, a relationship you maintain with your doctor. The purpose of primary care is to:
- Improve the results of your health
- Cut your expenses
- Increase your access to medical care
As primary care is a less expensive and time-consuming option for treating simple, acute illnesses or accidents. Furthermore, many people would prefer to have someone to call in the event of an issue versus having to rely on the walk-in clinics or emergency room.
Those with easy access to a primary care practitioner tend to spend less on healthcare. Similar to going to the dentist for your bi-yearly cleaning and checkups, if you have a health issue that is caught early enough, the treatment options are usually better, less costly, and take less time.
What to Prepare for When Seeing Your Primary Care Physician
The goal of your initial consultation with a primary care physician will be to offer us as much background information about y as possible. This will include your medical history and any healthcare needs you might have. We will go over your medical histories and prescriptions and talk with you about your personal and family medical histories as well as perform a general exam.
We might then need to schedule a follow-up appointment to go over the findings of the initial exam. Furthermore, if we have found any issues that we find concerning, this may require further follow-ups as we get your medications and other treatment plans under control. There isn’t a medical treatment plan that is one size fits, so it’s important that you take the time to listen to your doctor regarding your plan, ask questions, and be sure to attend any follow-up appointments.
Make a list of your questions, concerns, and any symptoms you have before your appointments. By doing this, you can avoid forgetting to ask a question or to mention anything crucial to your doctor. A successful doctor’s appointment depends on preparation.
Primary care physicians are skilled in handling a variety of medical issues. Visiting one is the greatest move if you have a chronic condition or wish to maintain your health.
Conclusion
When it’s time to find a new primary care physician, we are here to answer your questions and go over what to expect. Our team of experts is dedicated to treating our clients as they expect to be treated and not as a number. In addition to offering PCP services, we also offer family medicine, weight loss services, dermatology, a Suboxone clinic, Pediatrician services, and Women’s Health. Contact us here at Hazelwood Family Medicine today for more information!