A person itself can’t consistently determine their overall health; therefore, a credible source is a prime need. There may occur unanticipated health issues that need instant look over. Primary care physicians can only come in handy in such cases.
From diagnosis to problem-solving, every single effort determines your life span. That’s what all primary care is based upon, and here, a sincere and authentic primary care physician can meticulously drag you back from a severe illness to your comfort zone.
In the preceding eras, there wasn't a concept of primary care physicians; instead, it was the family doctors or generalists carrying out the primary care. But now, there remains no more of that casual approach. Thus, healthcare professionals have associated themselves with this specific role.
Dr Azam, a board-certified internist, is a genuine health expert who loves to work full-heartedly to improve the condition of his patients. A lot of knowledge and an experience over 20 years as a primary care physician certainly makes him an ideal person to outline what a primary care physician is/does.
Who is a Primary Care Physician?
A primary care physician is an expert healthcare doctor trained to treat all sorts of medical disorders in people. The physician knows how to diagnose, evaluate, and then kill various illnesses and injuries residing in a person.
The C. Everett Coop’s quote, ‘life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation,’ perfectly fits in for the physicians.
The primary care physician grows to be a very influential figure for any family. The bond or the relationship with the patient’s family keeps on strengthening, eventually leading to an adequate healthcare facility. Irrespective of age group, the physician can point out any illness in any family member and then calmly monitor and control the situation.
So, what it takes to be a primary care physician? Dr Azam fittingly knows how lengthy the process is. He regards an expert physician to have all sorts of skills to deal with anticipated and unanticipated occurring.
After a usual four years undergraduate degree, the upcoming doctors attend a 4-year medical school to achieve a medical doctorate degree. Then there comes residency, where a doctor practices in a specific medical field for a few years.
Some students try getting board certified, just like Dr Azam. They go through a comprehensive test that precisely examines their skills.
So, What Does a Primary Care Physician Do?
A primary care physician can ascertain its support for you through various means. Some of that can be:
- Local medical clinics.
- Outpatient and inpatient hospital spots.
- Can provide personal services.
- Long-term affiliations.
The services provided by the physician can be categorized as preventive checks, disease care/injury care, and chronic situations.
The most common conditions that frequently are dealt with by physicians are headaches, high cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension. Thus, Dr Azam rightly regards preventive screening as more significant for any primary care physician.
It also happens that a physician might witness any strange medical conditions. This shouldn’t even worry a primary care doctor due to their vast knowledge and ability to find a solution to complicated issues. A primary care physician is always expected to have clues to the majority of medical disorders.
Health Conditions a Primary Care Physician Can Treat:
Within prevention and well-being checks, primary care physicians usually examine the following:
- High cholesterol,
- Diabetes.
- Depression.
- Generic diseases.
- Blood pressure issues.
- Various cancers such as breast, colorectal, prostate, etc.
- Heart diseases.
Within injury treatment, the physicians carry out a few crucial steps, as mentioned below:
- Performs appropriate tests to determine the current condition.
- Carries out spirometry test to check lung function.
- Specifies the medication considering the situation.
- Coping up with fever.
- Managing unusual patient behavior in case of migraine attacks, asthma attacks, etc.
- Managing a wound.
- Helping patients recover from fractures.
- Treating skin infections, eye infections, muscle strain, and many other minor infections.
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Referring a patient to a specialist.
If a patient is engulfed in deep-rooted health conditions (chronic issues), then a physician does the following:
- Helps patients with medications.
- Collaborates with the specialists.
- Enables patients to take several precautionary measures, such as diet and exercise.
- Periodically assess your conditions and conclude your progress.
Types of Primary Care Physicians
Different physicians specialize in various roles, which is one factor that also determines the tasks of the primary care physician.
- Internal medicine/internists:
These physicians look after the adults. These doctors hold expertise in prevention screenings, diagnosis, and effective care during chronic conditions.
- Pediatricians:
These physicians help in sound and healthy baby growth and good look after children. This implies that a child remains safeguarded against potential diseases and injuries.
- Family Doctors:
These physicians take care of every family member irrespective of age group. Their task is to ensure that no medical disorder creates havoc within a family.
- Obstetricians or Gynecologists (OB-GYNs):
Gynecologists ensure that a woman remains healthy, while obstetricians look after the woman during pregnancy.
- Nurse practitioner:
Looks after children, teens, adults, and even older people as a physician’s assistant.
Meeting the Primary Care Physician
The first time you meet a primary care physician, the main focus will be your medical history. The physician will try to know about you and your medical records. There may also be a general exam that you may have to give.
Obviously, you’ll need to be exact with the information you provide so that the physician can adequately execute the plans and strategies to maintain or improve your health.
Furthermore, you must always be expressive and point out all the observations or symptoms so that the physician gets your point and reaches the exact conclusion.
What Factors are to be Considered Before Selecting a Primary Care Physician?
Always select the physician you feel comfortable with and find good at work. Eventually, it’ll impact your health, and there’s only hope for a positive outcome.
The factors to consider are:
- Hours:
Check whether the doctor’s available hours align with your and your family’s daily schedule.
- Location:
Check whether the physician’s office is reasonably well located away from your residential area. You must be aware of the traveling time and transport facility.
- Know the Doctor:
Do find out more about the doctor. Know whether the doctor has board certification or not. Moreover, review a few of his or her clients. Also, try to judge a physician by communicating directly.
- Policies:
Knowing the policies beforehand always is profitable. You must know all about appointments, payments, availability, and everything mentioned as physician policies to avoid any sort of inconvenience.
Wrapping Up
So, a primary care physician scrutinizes your health conditions, diagnoses the stage of your medical disorder, keeps a check on it, and controls it if possible. Else, it refers you to a specialist. This is undeniably a productive way to shield yourself against plausible harm.
By the way, the bond between a physician and family is always close. Therefore, it’s crucial to know your physician well. In the end, it is your and your family’s health that matters.