Get a PCP, a Primary Care Provider

Day-to-day life can get hectic. Going for an annual health checkup or getting a flu shot each year may fall off your long to-do list, especially if you have kids.

But getting in a bind when someone in your family gets sick or hurt can be an even bigger hassle. Here's something you can do that will save you from having to scramble in the future. Get yourself a primary care provider (PCP) ahead of time, so you don’t have to wonder what to do when a health problem happens.

You can choose a family doctor or an internist to be your family PCP.

Here are four reasons you should get a PCP:

1. Your PCP gets to know you. No one knows you like your PCP. Your PCP knows your medical and family history, what medicines you take and what health issues you have – and don’t have.  For instance, your PCP knows that you’ve never had a problem with high blood pressure, so if your numbers are high something is not right. Someone who has a history of you and with you will be better prepared to make the right call when you have a problem.
2. Hello again. The PCP’s office knows who you are. You can call the office when you have a health issue. For example, your child’s pediatrician will try to fit you in that day or have the doctor or the physician assistant call you back. If they are unable to see you, they’ll tell you what your next step should be. It could be to go to a health clinic (earache), urgent care center (high fever) or emergency room (you think something is broken). Having that “go-to” person means you don’t have to wonder what to do, and you don’t have to make an expensive trip to the emergency room when you don’t need to. Taking care of small health problems before they become big ones is a huge reason to have a doctor on speed dial.
3. One of the main things a PCP does is help you stay well. The doctor’s office calls you and sends you an email when it’s time for your annual well-woman exam or mammogram. The pediatrician sends fun postcards reminding you about sports physicals and back-to-school check-ups. The PCP keeps you in top form for allergy season, cold and flu season, and the holiday season when things always seem to go wrong.
4. They know people who know people. Through regular office visits and care of your health issues, your PCP can decide when you need to see a specialist for a health condition. This saves you time and money. A good example: A person was having strong, constant pain down the outside of their leg, and it went on for quite some time. They feared they had bone cancer, permanent nerve damage, or some life-changing crippling disease. They put off taking care of it partly because they had no idea who to see to find out. Orthopedist, neurologist, surgeon? They mentioned it to their PCP during a wellness visit, and the PCP sent them for some scans to see what was wrong. Diagnosis: sciatic nerve flair up. Pain reliever and a few visits to a physical therapist did the trick. No surgery required. If it had been needed, their PCP would have figured it out for them and sent them to the right place.

Let us help you with the next steps to search for a good PCP.