primary care physician..plzz help
- Thread starter V-Z
- Start date
Yes, you should have a regular physician. There are different options and am glad you are asking!
Your brother: at age 12, he should still be seeing a pediatrician or at least a "family practice" physician.
You: as a female adult, you can use your gyno if you want. Insurance companies generally allow that for females. Otherwise, a "family practice" or "internal medicine" or "general practice" physician would work.
Now, as to how to find one. You need to find out who your insurance carrier has listed as approved for them. You can usually find that on their web site or by calling customer service. Then, you need to ask around to friends and family if anyone has used any of the people on the list and their opinion of them.
There are other things you can do but these are the basic steps that you can start with now.
As for what they do, generally you see your PCP for annual physicals (to just keep check that you're doing OK), colds, flu, upset tummies, the general day to day maladies that strike all of us from time to time. If something more complicated should arise - allergies, asthma, heart problems, etc - he/she can refer you to a specialist or suggest other things.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Your brother: at age 12, he should still be seeing a pediatrician or at least a "family practice" physician.
You: as a female adult, you can use your gyno if you want. Insurance companies generally allow that for females. Otherwise, a "family practice" or "internal medicine" or "general practice" physician would work.
Now, as to how to find one. You need to find out who your insurance carrier has listed as approved for them. You can usually find that on their web site or by calling customer service. Then, you need to ask around to friends and family if anyone has used any of the people on the list and their opinion of them.
There are other things you can do but these are the basic steps that you can start with now.
As for what they do, generally you see your PCP for annual physicals (to just keep check that you're doing OK), colds, flu, upset tummies, the general day to day maladies that strike all of us from time to time. If something more complicated should arise - allergies, asthma, heart problems, etc - he/she can refer you to a specialist or suggest other things.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
sunsshinnee x)
New member
A primary care physician is a doctor you usually go to first in non-emergency cases. S/he can diagnose and treat many problems, and refer you to the appropriate type of specialist if you have a condition requiring specialist care.
Adults typically use an internal, family practice, or general medicine doctor; children typically use a pediatrician or family practice doctor.
For adults, it may be preferable to choose a primary care physician who is the same gender and similar or slightly older age, as that will make it more likely for the doctor to know from personal experience what gender and age specific things you may be concerned with. Primary care physicians often have additional medical interests (e.g. heart health, sports medicine, etc.); choosing one whose additional medical interests match your situation may be helpful.
Larger medical groups often have directories of doctors that can help you.
Adults typically use an internal, family practice, or general medicine doctor; children typically use a pediatrician or family practice doctor.
For adults, it may be preferable to choose a primary care physician who is the same gender and similar or slightly older age, as that will make it more likely for the doctor to know from personal experience what gender and age specific things you may be concerned with. Primary care physicians often have additional medical interests (e.g. heart health, sports medicine, etc.); choosing one whose additional medical interests match your situation may be helpful.
Larger medical groups often have directories of doctors that can help you.
A primary physician is generally a family practice doctor that will take care of all stages of life from newborn to the elderly dying. They are required by some insurance companies that you first go to see your primary doctor and that doctor will be the one to decide if you should go to a specialist. I came from a place where you could go to anyone you wanted but now we have to have a primary doctor now that does the referral to other types of doctors like a surgeon, or is the one that will order tests to be done. And when you do go to these other doctors they will ask you where to send the results of the test and it would be to your primary physician. we go to see a spine specialist but he does not order any medications and we had to find a primary to do that. Then there are some primary docs that will refer you to a pain clinic. It just all depends on what is wrong. For like normal every day kind of problems like a cold, or flu you would see your primary care doc. Your insurance will dictate if your brother can just be seen by a pediatrician or your primary. so but in any case it is always good to at least establish a doctor in case you need one when you are sick. If you don't have insurance then it doesn't matter if you have a primary or not. To find one you just go to your phone book and pick someone out...family practice. It is generally better to ask around who people go to to get some ideas of who to call.