Who is your pcp

Internal medicine. Obstetrics and gynecology. And which type of primary care doctor is right for you? Choosing the right primary care doctor is an important step in promoting your overall health and well-being. But with so many different options, it can be hard to know where to start. A primary care doctor is the person you can rely on to help manage a wide variety of health care needs — both routine and expected. These doctors can help you with preventive care, like your routine physicals, screenings and immunizations.

They can also diagnose, treat and help manage many common chronic conditions like hypertension or type 2 diabetes. And, if an illness or injury interrupts your day? They can help with that too.

There are many reasons why you need a primary care doctor. You need a place to go when a sudden illness or injury happens. You need a healthcare professional who can guide you through treatment options if you have a chronic condition that needs to be carefully managed. In a large study , researchers found that people in the United States who had primary care had a better overall experience with their healthcare.

The study also determined that those with a primary care physician also received significantly more high-value care. The study defined high-value care as cancer screenings, recommended diagnostic and preventive care, diabetes care, counseling, and medical treatment. Primary care is often your first step in addressing your healthcare needs. At one time, the family doctor or generalist fulfilled that role.

Today, primary care can be provided by several different types of healthcare professionals. Primary care physicians provide comprehensive care — which means they can address chronic, long-term conditions like diabetes mellitus as well as acute problems like bronchitis, allergic reactions, or colds and flu.

Becoming a primary care physician is a lengthy process that involves many years of education and training. Medical school graduates earn either an MD medical doctor or DO doctor of osteopathy degree.

During a residency, doctors study a particular medical specialty for an additional three to seven years, depending on which field of medicine they plan to practice. Some physicians then complete a fellowship, which is even more specific to an area of focus and can last for one to three years. Primary care physicians usually study family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, or geriatrics.

Many doctors decide to become board certified. To become board certified, doctors must complete a residency at an approved medical facility. They must also take a rigorous exam that tests their knowledge of their chosen field. When you see a primary care doctor, you can expect to have access to a full range of health services. If you have a long-term chronic health condition , your primary care physician can:. There are several kinds of physicians who provide primary care.

Family doctors. The scope of their practice includes the care of adults of all ages for many different medical problems. They often serve as a PCP for women, particularly those of childbearing age. Nurse practitioners NP and physician assistants PA : Practitioners who go through a different training and certification process than doctors. They may be your PCP in some practices. When choosing a PCP, also consider the following: Is the office staff friendly and helpful? Is the office good about returning calls?

Are the office hours convenient to your schedule? How easy is it to reach the provider? Does the provider use email? Do you prefer a provider whose communication style is friendly and warm, or more formal? Do you prefer a provider focused on disease treatment, or wellness and prevention? Does the provider have a conservative or aggressive approach to treatment?

Does the provider order a lot of tests? Does the provider refer to other specialists frequently or infrequently? What do colleagues and patients say about the provider? Does the provider invite you to be involved in your care?

PCPs are experts at coordinating care. In the role of care coordinator, your PCP is the team captain. Your insurance company will also do this as part of their utilization review , but having your PCP coordinating it will help to avoid denied insurance claims and needless medical services. Do you have 20 active prescriptions from different specialists? Recently hospitalized for heart problems and now ready to start cardiac rehab?

PAs and NPs usually practice under a physician and are known as mid-level providers or physician extenders. While they're technically specialists, many healthy women of child-bearing age see their gynecologist more often than any other doctor.

Traditionally, HMOs always required a PCP referral in order to see a specialist, but some modern HMOs allow patients to self-refer to specialists within the plan's network. As a general rule, you'll always want to carefully read your own plan's details and rules—never assume that your coverage will work the same as your friend's or neighbor's coverage, even if you both have the same insurer or the same type of managed care program ie, PPO, HMO, etc.

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