Do you have a primary care physician? For too many people in the United States, the answer is no. Nerarly 60 million Americans, almost one in five, admit they do not have a primary care doctor. It is important to find a family doctor you like before you need one, even if you are healthy.

Top Reasons to Find a Family Doctor:

• Having a primary care physician is a great way to stay healthy. Many people do not do a family doctor search becausde they do not think that they need one. The facts are that when you get regular check ups, you are healthier. Seeing your family practice doctor as recommended is a great way to catch small problems before they become large ones and require more intensive treatments.
• Your primary care doctor will get to know you. A lot of people are scared of doctors. When you find a family doctor and start to see them regularly, they get you know you and you get to develop trust in them. If you do have any chronic medical problems, having a family practice physician who knows you and what your baseline numbers and the like are can prevent you from needing to be treated in the emergency room. If you do have an emergency or need immediate treatment, they can refer you to the right place. Think of family practice doctors like quarterbacks of your health care team. They can call the plays and keep track of all of your medications and specialists.
• Your whole family can see the same doctor. A family practice center is just that. The entire family can be seen by the same practice. This can make everyone’e lives much simpler. This can make it a lot easier to make sure everyone is getting the health care check ups that they need to stay healthy.
  

• The internet is no subsitute for a family doctor. Despite what you may think, you cannot diagnise and treat your own ailments with help from the internet. Everyone loves Wikipedia and WebMD but they are not substitutes for real medical advice from a qualified professional. Nothing can replace the years of training and experience medical doctors have.

How to Find a Family Doctor:

Talk to friends and family. You may not talk about it much but you have to know someone who has a doctor they like. Talk to the people in your life and see what they think of the medical care they receive. Look online at sites like Yelp and Facebook. Remember that people are much more likely to leave a complaint than a compliment so take that into consideration when looking at medical practices online.
• Talk to your insurance carrier. Call the company who provides your health insurance and get a list of the providers who are in their network. They can also provide a wealth of information about the different providers who they contract with.
• Talk to a few doctors. You need to be able to talk to your doctor about very personal things so make sure you feel comfotable with the practice and the person’s communcations skills.
• Check out different medical practices’ websites. Many give a good overview of the physicians and their different experience and training. They may also offer patient testimonials and that sort of thing. Some will let you set appointments and ask routine questions through a web portal. Looking at these resources can help you find a family doctor.

Family doctors can help people with a host of problems and issues. Nearly two thirds of all Americans are obese. This can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and Diabetes. Approximately 25% of all Americans experience chronic pain. Another 40 million people suffer from anxiety. What do all of these conditions have in common? They can be prevented, treated and managed by a primary care doctor.

As important as it is to find a family doctor, too many Americans forgo this simple step in getting and staying healthy. A lot of people wait until they have a problem that is serious enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room, which is not the place to get routine health care. Developing a good relationship with a family doctor can improve your health and health.