I frequently get calls from my friends or family asking what they should do when they have a medical concern. They don’t know if they should go to the urgent care, emergency room or meet with a doctor virtually on the web. I always ask them the same question, who is your primary care doctor? There are certain things you just don’t do life without a trusted professional. You would never go to court without a lawyer, fly a plane without a pilot or go to a university without professors. So why in the world would you ever access the healthcare system without a primary care doctor, your trusted professional.

Your primary care doctor is your trusted professional that helps you create optimal health in life. They are your first point of contact with the medical system for every thing that isn’t a true emergency.

Here are the top 10 reasons why everyone needs a primary care doctor:

1. Comprehensive Care: A primary care doctor specializes in you with a primary care doctor you only need to make one appointment to discuss a variety of health issues you might be experiencing whether they are physical, emotional or mental. In fact, primary care doctors can take care of up to 80% of all your healthcare needs. This saves you time and money. It also saves you the aggravation of seeing multiple doctors.
2. Better Care Management: Primary care doctors are trained in their expert in monitoring and treating complex conditions like diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, asthma, and COPD. They can start treatment and order testing that monitors what affect your conditions is having on your body.
3. Higher Comfort Level: Most people don’t love talking to strangers especially about their health care needs and concerns. Choosing a primary care doctor you trust is the first step. The next step is scheduling regular appointments with your doctor so that they can discuss your concerns and overall health. The more you visit with your doctor you trust, the better your relationship with them and the better your care.
4. Understanding You Entire Health History: Routine visits with your primary care provider not only helps with your comfort level, but they also build on your health history. Knowledge of your health history as well as your family health history is imperative in the prevention of disease and helping your doctor to catch early symptoms of serious conditions.
5. Lowers Total Cost: Attending regular appointments with your primary are doctors might seem tedious and like a waste of time at times but research from the Journal of Health Affairs suggests that routine appointments with a primary care doctor cuts overall health care costs for patients. Regular screenings, open communications between you and your doctor, and a record of your health history all contribute to an overall lower cost of healthcare.
6. Routine Screenings for Early Detection: Taking your blood pressure at every appointment might seem like a task, but screenings like this hold great importance when it comes to your health. Undergoing testing on a regular basis helps catch symptoms before they get worse or lead to debilitating health care issues.
7. Referrals to Other Medical Specialists: Always start with an appointment with your primary care doctor. Your primary care physician, PCP should be able to treat 80% of your medical problems saving you time and money. But when it is something that they can’t treat as your primary care doctor they should know the best specialist in the community to get the help with the problems that they cannot treat themselves.
8. Decrease in Hospital and Emergency Room Visits: Research shows that patients who regularly visit their primary care physicians have fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits than those who do not utilize primary care doctors. Waiting too long to see a doctor or ignoring symptoms can lead to a hospitalization or an emergency room visit. Two of the most expensive and overwhelming outcomes for patients.
9. Better Patient/Provider Communication: Communication is a two-way street, especially when it comes to your health. Communicating your health wants, needs, and concerns is crucial for your doctor to address your health appropriately. Likewise your primary care doctor should also feel comfortable holding honest conversations with you regarding their concern and thoughts about your health.
10. You are 19% Less Likely to Die Prematurely: Enough said.

Ask yourself if you’re getting all the above from your primary care doctor. If you don’t, I encourage you to explore direct primary care. My family and I have a trusted direct primary care doctor, do you?