Human beings are complex individuals with unique needs, especially when it comes to general wellness. Having a go-to healthcare provider who understands your medical history, wellness goals, and concerns helps you stay safe and healthy. Besides addressing your pains and aches, primary care in West New York offers comprehensive care, including disease prevention, health promotion, counseling, health maintenance, patient education, and diagnosis and treatment of acute illnesses. The benefits of having a primary healthcare provider cannot be overstated, as it helps you stay healthy and live your best life.
What is primary healthcare?
Primary healthcare refers to various services, including diagnosis and treatment of a health condition by medical professionals. Physicians and healthcare practitioners involved in direct healthcare address the majority of personal health care needs. This type of care is typically the first stop in the case of problems like a cough, ankle sprain, or any other health condition that is not an emergency. Patients with terminal illnesses such as HIV/AIDS can also benefit from primary healthcare. Since the care is person-centered and community-aligned, it promotes effective communication with patients and the affected families.
Healthcare professionals involved in primary care
Any healthcare professional you come in first contact with can be said to be a primary healthcare provider. Examples include:
- Internists. These doctors attend to adults of all ages and are trained to prevent, diagnose and treat different medical conditions. Doctors of internal medicine do not address issues affecting children or infants.
- Family physicians. As the word family suggests, these doctors can address the needs of everyone in the family, including children and older adults. They are trained to perform different services, including disease diagnosis, treatment, minor surgery, and immunization.
- Obstetrician/gynecologists. An OB-GYN specializes in addressing women’s issues, including reproductive health, childbirth, pregnancy, menopause, and postpartum issues.
- Geriatricians. These are doctors who treat older adults in different settings, including care homes and hospitals. A geriatrician can provide care for a particular age-related condition such as osteoarthritis or integrate your care if you have several health conditions.
- Nurse practitioners. These are clinical nurses that are trained to offer different services and can work independently from doctors. They can prevent, diagnose and offer treatment to a variety of health problems.
Benefits of having a primary care doctor
- It gives you access to healthcare services that promote your general well-being.
- It helps in the management of chronic illnesses, which in turn facilitates improved quality of life.
- The help of your primary caregiver can identify a health condition at its onset stages when treatment is more manageable.
- Having a primary care doctor will save you time to address different health needs in one appointment. For example, in one visit, your doctor can perform screening.
- A primary care doctor coordinates with other specialists to ensure that the correct information is shared and no tests are duplicated.
- It helps you lower your healthcare costs. Due to its preventive nature, primary healthcare reduces your risk of severe conditions such as cancer. It also allows you to start treatment earlier before a health problem advances.
Primary healthcare is vital in promoting improved quality of life. To learn more about primary healthcare, consult with your doctor at The Doctor’s House.
