Why is it important to have a Primary Care Provider?

What is a PCP and why is it important to have one?

According to Healthcare.gov, a PCP is a physician, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or physician assistant who provides, coordinates or helps patients access a range of healthcare services.

Who do I see for primary care?

Within primary care, the two most common specialties are family medicine and internal medicine.

• Family medicine providers provide wellness, preventive, and acute and chronic disease care across the lifespan. They treat entire families, from newborns to the elderly. Their training includes internal medicine, pediatrics, women’s health and mental health care.
• Internal medicine providers are trained to provide acute and chronic care for adults. They specialize in health screenings and management of common adult health problems and are particularly adept at caring for patients with complex combinations of conditions.

What services are part of primary care?

PCPs cover all types of everyday health concerns. “Annual checkups help us become familiar with your current health, daily challenges and lifestyle as well as your medical history, family medical history, treatment preferences and more,” says Dr. Akel.

Armed with that knowledge, your PCP can:

• Teach you ways to make better decisions about your health to prevent disease. For example, your PCP can help guide your efforts to quit smoking, eat more nutritious foods, lose weight or manage stress.
• Make sure your vaccines are up to date to prevent illnesses like the flu.
• Suggest screening tests to detect problems before you even notice them (like a mammogram for breast cancer).
• Treat health problems that pop up (such as a rash or an infection).
• Help you manage long-term health problems (for instance, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol or depression).
• Find a medical specialist if you need one (like a knee surgeon or a heart doctor).