Physical health is important to us all. Getting proper care when it comes to health is even more important. While only 29% of primary care doctors offer after-hours coverage, there are still many advantages to seeing your primary car physician over a physician at a walk-in clinic or after hours urgent care facility. Considering the wait time in emergency departments has increased from 46.5 minutes to 58.1 minutes in the United States from 2003 to 2009, here are some benefits of choosing to see primary care doctors rather than family care providers:
Accurate diagnosis
It is better to diagnose a patient you have been regularly seeing because changes in health can better be identified. For this reason, it is better not to choose a medical walk in clinic but to go with a primary care physician.
Better Resources
Urgent care facilities are limited in the resources that they can use to treat patients. Sometimes they are equipped with the same tools found in doctor's offices, but many times they do not have everything they need. Going to your regular physician increases your chances of getting the care you need right there without having to take more time traveling to another location.
More affordable
Seeing your primary care doctor on a regular basis and checking in when you are not feeling well or have an urgent concern can save you a significant amount of money in the long run. Co-pays for facilities other than a primary doctor can sometimes be more than a regular doctor visit. A primary care doctor understands the cost of emergency room visits and will only recommend a visit to one if it is a true emergency.
Better relationships
Seeing a physician at a free health clinic or urgent care facility every now and then does not allow for a patient to build rapport with a physician. However, seeing their primary doctor on a regular basis can make a patient feel more comfortable because that doctor already knows their medical history. They won't have to answer the same questions each visit, which builds a sense of trust -- a much-needed quality in health care.
Family care providers only specialize in that specific realm of the medical field. They are able to help each member of a family rather than a specific age range. On the other hand, primary care providers are able to personalize treatment for their patients specifically and focus more on adults.
Primary care physicians are in demand more than family care providers in the United States. In fact, 52,000 primary care physicians will be needed to meet the country's need by 2025. For this reason and more, it is important to perform a primary care physician search soon and make sure you are covered. You only have one life, find a physician to help make it last.
