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Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Primary Care Physician

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Family medicine often refers to the integration of health care services for the different type of patients, regardless of the age, diseases, genders and body parts. It’s a comprehensive form of health care that extends past an individual health concern towards a strong patient-physician relationship. Family practice is governed by several principles that ensure holistic approach towards convenient medical treatment.

They include:
1.Caring
2.Clinical competence
3.Cost-effectiveness
4.Comprehensive care
5.Coordination of care
6.Community-based care
7.Counseling and communication skills
8.Continuing medical education
9.Prevention and Research

What is the difference between family medicine and internal medicine?
These two terms often confuse people, and in most scenarios, you’ll find people interchangeably using them to mean the same thing, that’s where most individuals go wrong when seeking best health practice for their needs.
1.

Family medicine and internal medicine specialists are referred to as primary care physicians
These are the first line of defense when you have a health concern, and in most cases, they are the ones you visit for most of your medical needs such us routine wellness visits, non-emergency conditions, screening among other less-serious medical concerns.

2.

Area of expertise
In family medicine, the family physician is often flexible to handle health needs of both children and adult. Internal practice, on the other hand, its physician may specialize in specific health areas like comprehensive specialized pediatric care or women’s health.

3.Internal Physicians specific treat adults,in that, for you to get medical help from an internal practice, you must be over 18 years and nothing short of that.

So how do you choose a primary care physician, either on family medicine basis or internal medicine basis?

1. Consider an “In-network” doctor
While you are out there looking for a health care specialists, consider payments and care rates, Are they fixed or you can negotiate for better prices? An “in-network” physician will most probably accept your insurance plan, unlike “of network” doctors, where you’ll have to chip in your pockets and cover part of your medical bill.

2.Skillful convenient and affordable care
With your “in-network” doctor in
place ensure they have expertise that meets your health needs; from an individual level to your family at large. Depending on your health need, you can opt to choose a family practice, internal medicine or general practice. What is it that you want from a physician?.

3. Seek for recommendations
This is one of the reliable ways of getting to a physician, you can either ask your family member or a friend for referrals if they have one. In case you know other health care professional, you can easily get referrals from there.

4.Logistics consideration
According to your office hours or the time you pick your kids from school, it is important you establish suitable time frames when you can visit your health care physician. Whether you want a doctor located close to your home of place of work, their operational location is important.

After you’ve established all those factors you can comfortably visit them for further deliberations. You’d want to know their mode of operations, the treatment they use, payment method, and if they offer emergency services.