When it comes to your primary care, it can be hard to know where to start and what type of provider to choose. To make things more complicated, there is also a difference between a doctor of medicine and a doctor of osteopathy. But you can learn more about the difference between an MD and a DO in our previous blog post.
Today, we are here to give you six benefits of choosing a family doctor as your primary care physician.
If you’re ready to make an appointment, Healthstar Physicians Family Medicine in Newport is accepting new patients. Schedule an appointment today with one of our osteopathic providers!
REASONS TO CHOOSE A FAMILY PRACTICE
From a whole-body approach to the continuity of your medical plan, there are a lot of benefits that come from choosing a family practice. Read through some of our benefits and find a local family medicine provider you can trust.
Get a Doctor for Life
A family medicine provider combines both a pediatric and internal medicine provider into one practice. This means that when you establish care with a family medicine provider, you won’t age beyond that provider’s scope of care.
But why is that a good thing? In your life, your body will go through many changes, illnesses, and concerns. But during the course of your medical treatment with a family physician, you have the same provider you can rely on time and time again. Having a strong, lasting relationship with your provider puts you in a place where you can trust and be open and honest, giving you personalized care.
Establish a History
One of the hardest aspects of going to a new doctor or specialist — especially if they’re in a different medical system — is having to re-explain your medical history.
If you’ve gone to the same doctor for your entire life, then that family medicine provider is intimately familiar with your medical history. Instead of having to go over your medical history before any health change or new medication, you can trust your provider to have a good sense of what would be best for you.
Manage Your Medications
Did you know that around 35% of Americans take at least one type of medication?
Keeping track of your medications and medication refills can be challenging. This can be even harder if you have different specialists you visit. Those providers are concerned with helping your specific problem through medication designed to help with that one condition.
But if you’re on more than one type of medication, you might be worried about interactions and when to take which medication. Family medicine providers and doctors of osteopathy take a look at the whole picture. This makes them a great source for balancing those different medications to make sure the prescriptions you are taking won’t interact with or counteract your other prescriptions.
Your primary provider can also recommend changes in dosages and medications if they are concerned about interactions or a decrease in the effectiveness of certain medications.
Preventative Care
There’s a common myth that family medicine providers can only complete your annual exams and any physicals needed for school and sports. But that’s not true!
Specifically at Healthstar Physicians Family Practice, all of our providers are board-certified providers of osteopathic medicine. While both an M.D. and D.O. can be a family provider, a doctor of osteopathy takes a holistic approach to the body. This means that they look at the whole picture, something we already touched on with medication management.
You can bring all of your different health concerns and problems to your provider for a whole-body approach to your care. This involves routine tests and lifestyle changes to watch for or help prevent new illnesses.
Save Time
Scheduling regular appointments with a family medicine provider can save you time.
If you frequently visit with your family medicine provider, you have the chance to bring up smaller concerns that come up throughout the year. This means that you don’t have to go out of your way to make appointments for a handful of smaller concerns that you start to notice.
Instead, you know that you have an appointment with a family medicine provider to discuss those concerns and have time to just generally check in about your health.
Specialist Help
If you have a more complicated or specified problem, your family medicine provider might recommend visiting a specialist. But if you have a history with your family provider, they can take into account your unique medical history. This allows you to work with both your family medicine provider and your specialist to ensure you’re getting the best care.
TRUST HEALTHSTAR PHYSICIANS FAMILY PRACTICE
We hope that this post helped you see the different benefits you get when you choose a family practice provider.
If you’re ready to find a provider you can trust, make an appointment with one of our DO providers at Healthstar Physicians Family Medicine in Newport today!
