9 Tips to Find a Good Primary Care Physician

Your primary care doctor should be your first call for medical issues. They are there to assist you make some of the most significant decisions you will ever have regarding your health and wellbeing by giving you advice, educating you, checking you out, diagnosing you, and treating you.

Finding a doctor you can trust—someone you can speak with openly and honestly about your health—is crucial for this reason. However, how can you identify such a crucial companion when browsing a huge list of names in directories and on websites?

You must first express your priorities for a doctor-patient connection in order to find the best physician. Naturally, there are also practical considerations.

1. Which doctors are in your network?

Start by learning which local primary care doctors are covered by your plan if you have health insurance and want to choose an in-network provider to save your costs.

You might be able to work with an out-of-network primary care physician through your insurance plan, but it will cost you more.

Ask your potential doctor how much office visits will cost if you don't have health insurance and will be paying out of pocket. Planning for future visits may be made easier if you are aware of costs before you require care.

2. Who do your family and friends recommend?

Asking for referrals from individuals you can trust is one way to find a primary care doctor you like. Your family, friends, and coworkers are great resources for learning about doctors they recommend.

You can ask allied health specialists for recommendations as well. Others in the healthcare industry, such as pharmacists, optometrists, dentists, physical therapists, and others, may be able to provide you with useful information on the doctors you're considering. They could also be able to suggest other medical professionals you might consider.

3. How easy is it to get to this doctor?

How far is the doctor's office from your house, place of work, or place of study? How simple will it be to locate affordable, secure parking? How long will the trip take if you take public transportation?

In some communities, there are many primary care providers, while there are few in others.

4. And speaking of access, where will procedures take place?

Asking if routine treatments like lab testing, x-rays, and simple operations are carried out in the same location as the doctor's office is a good idea.

These kinds of treatments are frequently performed in-office by primary care doctors, but if you need to go from the doctor's office to a lab or imaging facility, you'll need to find out if those locations are convenient for you.

5. Will the doctor be available when you need an appointment?

What time does the medical facility open and close? Are services offered in the evenings, on weekends, or at all times? How long does it usually take to get a doctor's appointment?

What about telemedicine - does this doctor provide online consultations or assessments? Does a patient portal exist where you may request prescription refills, fill out forms, schedule appointments, and contact the clinic online?

6. Is the prospective doctor an expert in treating people like you?

Primary care professionals include family physicians, pediatricians, internists, OB-GYNs, and geriatricians.

Check to discover if the doctor is board-certified in that field if you want to work with a primary care physician who is skilled in treating a certain population or medical problem.

7. Is the staff friendly and professional?

You'll frequently interact with the office workers. These unsung heroes of the medical industry will manage many of your encounters with your primary care provider, including scheduling and rescheduling appointments, resolving billing concerns, and requesting refills.

Do the employees treat you politely and patiently when you interact with them? Do they abide by your other limits, like your right to privacy, your choice of name and pronoun, etc.? Do they assist in establishing communication between you and the doctors?

8. Is this a group practice or an individual practice?

Some medical professionals work alone, while others work in teams. When you arrive, it's critical to know whether your primary care doctor, another member of the practice, a nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant will be treating you.

If you see a provider other than your normal one, the standard of your care might not be changed, but your general level of satisfaction might go down.

9. What is the physical environment of the practice like?

Look around the office when you go there. Is the waiting area tidy, well-kept, and generally quiet? Does the medical equipment seem to be up-to-date and functional? Do the therapy rooms have separate bathrooms?

It's nearly a universal human experience to have to wait for a while in a doctor's office, therefore it's crucial to make sure the atmosphere is comfortable.