4 Considerations When Choosing the Right Family Practice Physician

 

Your family practice physicians may be more important than you think. Family practice physicians act as the center point of your medical treatment. Even if you are dealing with chronic medical conditions, it is the role of your primary physician to monitor, continually evaluate, and refer to specialists. Because the family practice physicians are so important, you want to choose one that is a good fit for you. You can do this by paying attention to the following factors.

Location

Location is actually very important when it comes to finding the best family practice physicians. When you have medical concerns or need to schedule a last minute medical appointment, you want something that is convenient for you. If you have to drive too far, you might avoid your appointments or receiving the medical care that you need. While choosing a family physician that is near your place of employment rather than your home can be helpful for lunch time appointments, this can be very inconvenient should you change jobs. Also, choosing something that is closer to home can make it easier for other family members to make appointments with the same family physician.

Office hours

Office hours are also important. Many family physician offices work similar business hours as other businesses do. This can make it difficult to schedule appointments around work hours. However, you will find that some offices have extended hours into the evening one or two nights a week. Some may even have limited Saturday morning availability. One in every four Americans has suffered from pain that lasts longer than 24 hours and millions more suffer from acute pain. If you have extended pain, you do not always want to wait until Monday morning to see a physician.

Going along with the physician?s office hours, you also want to understand the physician?s availability. How are emergencies handled? Can you call your physician after hours to discuss your medical treatment or the prescriptions that you were given? Can you reach anyone at your medical office after hours? These are all important questions to consider when choosing the best family doctor that fits with your personal medical needs.

Physicians capabilities

The physician?s capabilities are often determined by their experience, education, and specialty areas. If you deal with chronic medical conditions, it might be helpful to have a family physician that is minimally, aware of that medical condition. The same goes if you have children. You want to bring your children to a physician that has experience in child related medical conditions. Some specializations include childhood ADD, doctor weight loss, drug and alcohol addiction, and mental health concerns. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of the U.S. population). While your physician may not be specifically trained in anxiety or other common problems, their basic knowledge is needed for effective referrals.

Insurance coverage

Most Americans pay for their medical needs with their insurance policy. You will find that different medical providers accept different insurances. If you see a physician that does not accept your insurance, you will be responsible for paying the costs out of pocket. It is important to find a family physician that accepts your type of health insurance. You can usually find this information by speaking with the office?s billing professional or working with your insurance company on a family doctor search that accepts the specific insurance.

Think of the family practice physician as the home base of your medical care needs. Your primary physician is the one medical provider that understands your medical history, your current health concerns, and is the person that can refer you to specialists, should you ever need them. Careful considerations should be made when choosing your family practice physician.