Who needs a family doctor in the age of Googling symptoms and popping in to your nearest urgent care center?
Certainly patients as consumers of an increasingly expensive health care product need to be their own information-savvy advocates. However, more information isn’t necessarily better. Trying to determine whether you need a specific medication, blood test or emergency room visit can be daunting. It’s obvious that everything you read on the internet is not necessarily true and often only serves to propagate anxiety.
When a new symptom or diagnosis arises, you need a trusted advocate to help sort out your priorities and best course of action. A family physician who knows your medical history, family history, personality and values is your best asset in navigating an increasingly complex health care system.
Certainly there is no substitute for eating well, exercising, and prioritizing healthy sleep and socialization. Not every experience of discomfort needs to be “medicalized”. Hence the rationale for an annual wellness exam with your primary care physician. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. The annual wellness exam is a worthwhile investment in your health during which you can touch base with your family physician regarding what has transpired for you over the past year, review which behaviors and tests will optimize your wellness, and minimize the risk of preventable diseases.
However, even the most proactive among us can experience abrupt unanticipated changes in our health status. Nearly all of us will eventually be patients in doctors’ offices and hospitals, and to see a familiar face in the midst of a health crisis is one of the most comforting interventions possible. Think of your family doctor as your “first go to” professional – someone who has got your back in this crazy maze that is the US healthcare system. Within the dizzying array of medications, specialists, screening recommendations, etc, you need a trusted primary care physician whom you can access quickly and trust that she has your best interests in mind.
Dr. Daria Blyskal, For Primary Care and More
My office space is a quiet, attractive environment in which any non-emergent health care need is thoroughly assessed. Patients are given individualized attention and their time is respected. Instead of feeling like a number on an assembly line, you feel understood and equipped with a clear plan of action. Come see for yourself how we can reclaim the joy of a productive, mutually respectful doctor-patient relationship.