Primary care providers manage their patients’ daily health needs. They are usually the people who turn when they have health concerns. Sometimes, consulting with them and getting treatment in-house is an option; however, other times, a primary care provider may refer a patient to the right specialist for focused help. There are many ways a primary care physician like Dr. Sudha Challa can help you live a healthy life. These include the following:
1. Managing Chronic Diseases
A primary care physician can help coordinate the care a person with a chronic illness needs. They can prescribe medication refills and manage their condition long-term, even if the patient has a specialist checking on them. They can treat and monitor chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, heart disease, psoriasis, arthritis, etc.
2. Ensuring Continuity of Care
Having one doctor seeing you for your health issues, from stomach aches to immunizations and blood pressure control, ensures that you have a health resource aware of your history. Every time you schedule an appointment with your doctor, you do not need to explain your family history or list medications you are currently taking because everything is in their record. Over time, your doctor can develop a comprehensive picture of your health, which can help diagnose conditions more accurately.
3. Managing Medications
Your primary care doctor can track your medications, noting dosage and frequency changes to ensure you don’t suffer unwanted side effects. Many of these doctors use electronic medical record systems to flag medication contraindications that prompt them to review any side effects you might be having. Then, they can recommend changes to your medications or consult with your prescribing doctors for better medication regimen management.
4. Getting Annual Physical Exams
Your primary care doctor can see you for your annual physical exam, which usually includes bloodwork and screenings for different conditions and diseases. Also, you can depend on them in terms of newborn exams and sports physicals.
5. Reducing Your Healthcare Costs
Preventative care is associated with better health and lower costs. Insurance covers a lot of preventive care services. When you visit a primary care doctor for routine physical exams, immunizations, and screenings, you may avoid costly prescriptions and care when you become seriously ill. Apart from health benefits, adults with a primary care doctor will lower their health care costs. For instance, the doctor may recommend that an adult gets a diabetes screening around age 40, catching prediabetes or diabetes earlier, and reducing the risk of complications that can drive up insurance premiums and result in high healthcare costs.
6. Saving Time
By having a primary care doctor, you can address several health needs in a single appointment. Usually, your physician can give a checkup, screening, and immunizations in only one visit. And during this visit, you can ask them any question regarding your health. Also, you can usually get treatment for a condition bothering you that day without scheduling another appointment.