Many Americans leave their healthcare to chance and emergency. Others rely on urgent care centers or a revolving door of doctors assigned to them by their insurance company. However, studies show that patients who form relationships with a single doctor who provides integrated health care services and gets to know that patient’s medical history and situation will have far better outcomes than other ad hoc health care options such as urgent care clinics or revolving-door medicine. This kind of doctor becomes the Primary Care Doctor for the patient, who can provide a much higher level of health care.
The health care system is made or broken through access to Primary Care Doctors. When patients have access to a single doctor who is primarily concerned with the patient’s overall health, the focus of health care moves from a focus on the doctor to a focus where it belongs: on the patient. Instead of arguing with insurance companies about where the patient is allowed to go, or rolling the dice and getting whoever happens to be on duty at the urgent care clinic, a Primary Care Doctor builds relationships with his patients that can help inform treatment options for far better outcomes. Primary Care Doctors have a commitment to the long-term health of the patient, not merely to treating the symptom that brought the patient into the clinic. Because of this, they will take a patient-centered approach to care and the prevention of future problems. It may be the case that some condition is influencing the symptoms of the day, and while an itinerant physician will treat only the symptoms, the permanent primary care physician will be in a far better position to see past those symptoms to the underlying condition.
Additionally, when complications that do require a specialist come up, primary care doctors will have developed a relationship with the patient that allows them to guide the patient through the health care system to get the best care suited to their needs. Instead of being cast out into the wild without direction, primary care physicians can help the patient find the care they need, offering advice and recommendations. The primary care physician will also be able to go with the patient through the system, tracking their progress and making sure they are getting the treatment they need. In this way, the patient-centered outlook provided by the primary care doctor accompanies the patient throughout their journey through the health-care system.
At Internal Medicine, Lipids, and Wellness Practice of Fort Myers, Dr. Kordonowy has built the practice around the concept of a primary care physician who can help patients with all of their health concerns and work toward overall health and wellness goals. If you have any questions or interest in finding a good Primary Care Doctor in the Fort Myers area, be sure to call today: (239) 362-3005 (ext. 200).
