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Who is a family physician?

Family physicians, as healthcare professionals, provide a broad range of preventive services and detect early symptoms of any disease or problems. In contrast to other specialists, a family physician has a hold over several medical care services and can recommend a specialist if required. A family physician provides comprehensive health care services to all patients irrespective of age, problem, or gender.

Most family physicians conduct their practice either through private offices or associating with a few other family practice doctors. Family physicians typically contribute to community medicine clinics or work on the front lines in a hospital setting.

Education qualifications for a  family physician

Family physicians must finish extensive training post-medical school to be proficient with their services and provide the best patient care. This training includes a three-year residence, i.e., in-depth training across a human's lifespan, from birth to death. They must also have specific fellowships and qualifications for different facets of medical care.

Their advanced studies and practice revolve around six major medical domains: gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, internal medicine, obstetrics, surgery, and community medicine. Depending on the specialization they choose to opt for in their career, they pursue advanced qualifications and studies that would add to their expertise.

When should you visit a family physician?

There always needs to be clarity surrounding the kind of ailments family physicians deal with since they treat many. Below are a few instances or problems for which you should visit a family physician instead of a specialist.

• Seeking a medical specialist: If you are experiencing any condition or disease that demands attention from a specialist, turn to a family physician. They will discuss it at length and understand your situation before referring you to the right specialist to treat your problems. This step is also beneficial as there would be constant correspondence between your specialist and the family physician to monitor your health and treatment plan. Moreover, some insurance plans require a referral to a family physician before visiting a specialist.
• Minor injuries and ailments: Often, we find ourselves experiencing minor bodily injuries or conditions due to a change in temperature, over-consumption of food, and multiple other factors. Some common injuries and illnesses include flu, bronchitis, sprains, stomachaches, infections, and fractures. Such situations do not warrant a visit to a specialist. Instead, a visit to your family physician would suffice. They can treat your injury or ailment independently and offer you prescriptions.
• Chronic diseases: Family physicians tend to minor ailments and monitor and prescribe medicines for long-term illnesses such as diabetes, skin problems, heart issues, asthma, kidney-related issues, and hypertension. They do not arbitrarily or independently treat such diseases. Instead, it is in tandem with a specialist. However, you can always discuss the progress or change in your condition with a family physician and even request them to prescribe more medicine if needed.
• Casual examinations: Visiting a doctor for routine checkups can have long-term benefits for your health. A family physician conducts various tests and checkups, including health screenings, sports physicals, pelvic exams for the female reproductive system, annual physicals, skin exams, and evaluation of any symptoms. After these exams, the family physician may recommend medication and write you a prescription if needed.

How to choose a family physician for you and your family

A primary healthcare provider, like a family physician, is often a person's first point of contact in the healthcare system. Having a family doctor who provides continuity of care across all stages of your life is essential to not only getting timely preventive care and maintaining overall health but also saving on future medical costs. Further, developing an established relationship with a family doctor may aid them in recognizing the onset of mental health problems, given that they have better preexisting knowledge of your medical history, comorbidities, and contributing social, emotional, and environmental factors that may impact your mental health. 

Here are some tips to help you select a primary care provider or family physician: 

• Credentials are important when searching for a provider. Look for a family physician who is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). Board-certified family doctors adhere to the highest standards of care and are aware of the latest advancements in family medicine. The ABFM requires family doctors to get recertified every 7 to 10 years. They must also complete at least 150 hours of continuing medical education every three years.
• Choose a family physician who accepts your insurance plan. An in-network primary care doctor will help keep your medical costs down. If you are paying out-of-pocket, you should speak to your doctor's office about costs. It is also important to note that several health insurance providers limit your choice to a list of doctors and require you to select a doctor from their list. Ensure you contact your insurance provider for such information. 
• Location is another crucial factor in choosing your primary care doctor. Check if the doctor's office is located near your home, office, or school. If your area lacks primary care offices, you may also want to check for other facilities such as community health clinics, hospital emergency rooms, and public clinics instead of primary care physician offices.
• You may also want to know whether procedures or lab tests will be done in the doctor's clinic or in a lab facility somewhere else. Additionally, it is convenient to know if there is an online patient hub where you can schedule doctor appointments, ask for prescription refills, complete forms, and communicate with the office. 
• Learn the timings of your doctor's clinic when choosing a provider. Ask your physician's office if they offer assistance for issues that may occur after hours and if a medical query can be answered over the phone or online. 
• Some doctors practice independently, while others are a part of a group practice. It's important to know if you have access to other healthcare practitioners, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other medical specialists, for current or future needs. 
• If you've found a few family physicians in your area but need to narrow down to one, you can approach your friends, colleagues, and family members for personal reviews and recommendations. They may also recommend some family physicians or other types of primary care physicians with whom they've had a positive experience. 
• Before choosing a primary care provider, you must also check if they accommodate your unique health needs. Your age, gender, life experiences, disability status, trauma, mental state, and specific medical conditions shape the way you interact with healthcare professionals. If you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or are transgender, you will need a provider who understands your needs and preferences. Providers practicing gender-affirming care respect an individual's identity and offer emotional and biological interventions necessary to support their well-being. Such interventions include counseling about coming out to peers and family members, assistance with changing outward appearance and gender presentation, medications, hormone therapy, and surgery.

Prepare for your first appointment with a family physician

Family physicians provide comprehensive care tailored to you and your family's medical conditions. They form a strong doctor-patient relationship to provide care spanning across generations. The first appointment with a family physician near you helps establish the bond. It helps them get familiar with and completely understand your medical history.

Hence, it would help if you prepared the following before an appointment with a family physician:

• Bring your medical records: Gather all your medical records to help the family physician learn about your medical history and condition. That should include your past ailments, surgeries, recent lab diagnostics, and related documents. You should bring records from your previous doctors as well.
• Know about your family medical history: Many diseases, such as heart conditions, diabetes, and strokes, are hereditary. They can affect different levels of generations within the family and put them at a high risk of contracting the disease. Family physicians will take note and develop preventive measures to safeguard your family against them.
• Bring your list of medications: Most people have daily medicines for various illnesses to maintain their health. The list will help the family physician identify your doses and prescribe new medications accordingly. It will be compatible with your existing medications to avoid any complications. You need to mention over-the-counter drugs and supplements, if any.
• Prepare a list of questions: Appointments have a set duration, and you must prepare beforehand. Please list questions from most pressing to least concerning to ensure they answer them. Going early to your first appointment can provide additional time to make room for more questions.
• Please bring a friend or family member: People with disabilities or other medical conditions can bring along support to help them with their first appointment. They can make you comfortable and meet the family physician with you. Moreover, they can ask about your concerns and understand the treatment the family physician prescribes.

Find the best family physician near you in El Paso, Texas

Finding a healthcare professional is a significant hassle whether your ailments are major. Finding a family physician in your locality or dialing up clinics can cost you time, energy, and multiple consultation fees before you find the one that fits the bill. 

Zocdoc bridges the gap between reliable healthcare experts and patients seeking quality healthcare. With the platform provided by Zocdoc, you can easily find the best and most experienced board-certified family physician in El Paso, Texas. 

In this simple process, the first step is to create a free account on Zocdoc. Feel free to download the application or access the official website for the same service. Following this, you can enter all relevant details, such as choosing your locality, condition, preferred date, and insurance plan. Once you click search, Zocdoc scans through a database to filter family physicians that match your criteria. 

You can click on each profile for more details to make things easier and even better. It will entail educational qualifications, certifications, gender, languages spoken, affiliations, practice location, reviews of previous patients, and much more. Zocdoc also allows you to choose a family physician near you who accepts your insurance plans and book appointments by coordinating your availability with the doctor. You can even hit the purple icon in each profile to schedule a virtual meeting. 

If you are unable to find your particular health insurance plan listed on Zocdoc, try uploading your insurance card. Zocdoc will then scan the image of your card and show you a plan that matches it best. Note that you can only upload an image of your medical insurance card. Vision and dental are excluded. If you are having trouble uploading your medical insurance card or need answers to other queries, contact Zocdoc's service team via chat, phone call, or email. For more information on insurance and related topics, make sure you check out Zocdoc's patient help center. 

To give each patient an understanding of the kind of experience you might have with a particular doctor, Zocdoc provides verified and updated patient reviews. 

Zocdoc fulfills all your needs on a single platform. All Zocdoc bookings are secure, simple, and free!

Statistics on family physicians in Texas

According to the May 2021 report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of practicing family medicine physicians is around 102,930. Of this number, Texas employs about 6860 practicing family medicine physicians, with a location quotient of 0.77.  

According to a 2015 North Texas Regional Extension Center study, Texas has 63,000 licensed physicians. Approximately 46,953 are actively involved in patient care, catering to 26,448,193 residents. Regarding active patient care physicians per 100,000 people, Texas is ranked 41st out of the 50 states. However, with active primary care physicians per 100,000 population, Texas ranks 47th among the states.

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics[1]

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics[2]

American Academy of Family Physicians

WebMD[1]

American Board of Medical Specialties

FamilyDoctor.org

WebMD[2]

Healthline

Association of American Medical Colleges

American Academy of Family Physicians

Medical Board of California

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.