Who are primary care doctors, and what are their duties?
Primary care physicians (PCPs) are doctors of medicine (MDs) who are the patient's first point of contact in the healthcare system. Primary care involves accessible and local healthcare services for people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Coordination among various healthcare professionals in multidisciplinary teams, management of long-term conditions, preventive care, and patient—or family-centeredness are common characteristics of primary care.
Primary care doctors practice general medicine and focus on diagnosing and treating various conditions, unlike other medical specialties, which may treat disorders of only a particular organ or system in the body.
A primary care practitioner's typical responsibilities include performing routine physicals, recording patient and family medical history, ordering or administering diagnostic tests such as X-rays, MRIs, and EKGs, offering vaccination/immunization services, tracking health changes, and recommending lifestyle changes to manage or prevent a serious health issue.
While primary care physicians are not surgeons, they can perform minor skin biopsies, toenail removals, and joint injections. They also educate patients on diet and lifestyle changes, such as weight management and ways to quit smoking or drinking, to help manage an illness. They also help patients find specialists or surgeons in case of complex conditions.
What are the health conditions treated by a primary care doctor?
Primary care doctors can manage and treat various medical conditions, such as back pain, common cold, dizziness, earaches, sore throat, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), headaches, infections, migraines, and vertigo.
In addition, primary care doctors can also help manage some severe chronic conditions like heart diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, insomnia, high blood pressure, obesity, cancers, and pneumonia. In women, they may also assist in the early management of birth control, pap smear, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), urinary tract infections, and vaginal infections.
Types of primary care doctors
Knowing what kind of primary care provider to visit can help you find the proper care for yourself and your family members and reduce time in hospital visits. While primary care doctors are generally physicians, some physician assistants and nurse practitioners can also act as primary care providers. Some other common types of PCPs include -
- Family physicians — are specialists who treat all family members, including infants, adolescents, adults, and older adults. They can prevent and diagnose various diseases, including genetic disorders, and perform minor surgical operations.
- Obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYNs) — treat pregnant women (before and after delivery) and females facing issues related to their reproductive system. They address and treat irregular periods, menopause, amenorrhea, postpartum depression, and cervical cancer.
- Geriatricians — treat complex age-related conditions in older adults, such as Alzheimer's, arthritis, and osteoporosis.
- Pediatricians — are exclusively trained to manage and treat childhood health and developmental conditions in young adults aged 21 and below.
Family doctor vs. primary care doctor
Primary care focuses on everyday health, including wellness services like checkups, physicals, vaccine administrations, and treatment and management of common, non-urgent health concerns. On the other hand, family medicine is a medical specialty focusing on complete and continuing healthcare for every family member, both children and adults.
A PCP is a patient's primary source for treatment related to medical concerns. They are medical practitioners the patient connects with before being referred to the relevant specialist. In contrast, family medicine physicians are professionals qualified to meet the primary medical needs of children and adults, including newborns and older family members. Hence, every family doctor is also a PCP specializing in family medicine.
When should you see a primary care doctor near you?
Compared to other doctors, you do not have to book a week-long appointment with a primary care doctor when you get sick. As their name suggests, they can be your primary or initial point of contact for every medical situation or preventive healthcare.
Thus, you can consider seeing them if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Need annual checkups, health screenings, or vaccinations: PCPs can make recommendations and guide you.
- Feeling under the weather: They can examine you, order blood tests, or make a diagnosis and prescribe medication.
- Need continued care to manage chronic illnesses (diabetes, hypertension, or asthma): They can direct you to a specialist for good treatment.
- Injury management: They can be your initial contact for further advice.
Do primary care doctors provide mental health services?
Some primary care doctors, such as family physicians and internists, can provide mental health services. Per the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the U.S.'s lack of access to mental healthcare services has led to primary care doctors assuming a lead role in managing mental health disorders.
Seeing a primary care physician for an initial screening and discussing your mental health concerns can help diagnose or effectively manage acute episodes of mental illness. During a mental health screening, you can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, drug addiction, ADHD, PTSD, depression, or anxiety. In such cases, the PCP is more likely to direct you toward specialized mental healthcare providers such as psychologists or psychiatrists.
Primary care physicians play a more consultative and team-based role where they may ask you about the symptoms you've been experiencing or provide a standard patient-health questionnaire (PHQ) to diagnose your mental disorder before recommending a specialist. They may also request a blood test to determine whether a medical condition (such as thyroid illness) is the root cause of your mental health issues. Additionally, they can assist people with comorbid conditions (such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, malignancies, or terminal illnesses) experiencing mental health symptoms due to pre-existing diseases.
Therefore, visiting your PCP for an initial consultation to evaluate your mental health concerns can be highly beneficial as they are more readily accessible and can help reduce your treatment costs. Further, patients who have developed a strong relationship with the specialist may feel more comfortable sharing private concerns such as domestic abuse or violence.
Routine medical services provided by family practice doctors
Primary care doctors offer comprehensive care for individuals of all ages, from preventive services to chronic disease management, to support your health throughout life.
They serve as the first point of contact for most medical concerns, focusing on prevention, early detection, and long-term management of health issues. The following are some of the procedures a primary care doctor near you might conduct:
Routine physical exams
Annual physical exams help your doctor monitor your overall health. These visits often include checking your weight, height, blood pressure, heart, and lungs. Your provider may also discuss your lifestyle and recommend steps to maintain or improve your well-being.
Immunizations
Vaccines are key to preventing serious and contagious diseases. Family practice doctors can safely administer immunizations for children, adults, and seniors. Vaccines aid your immune system in recognizing and fighting off infections before they become a threat.
Infant care
Newborns and infants need regular checkups to ensure they’re growing and developing correctly. A family doctor can examine your baby shortly after birth, measure growth milestones, perform essential screenings, and give the first hepatitis B vaccine. They may also recommend whooping cough vaccinations for household members to protect your baby.
Health screenings
Family physicians perform routine screenings to detect health conditions early - often before symptoms appear. These may include tests for diabetes, high cholesterol, certain cancers, and reproductive health. Early detection of various health issues gives patients a better chance at successful treatment and can prevent complications.
Chronic disease management
Family practice providers play a vital role in managing long-term illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, asthma, and COPD. They offer regular monitoring, adjust medications as needed, and help manage symptoms like pain or breathing difficulty. Your doctor also coordinates with specialists to ensure consistent, comprehensive care.
How do primary care doctors perform a physical examination?
A physical exam, a preventive care visit, wellness checkup, or routine physical exam assesses your overall health. Other purposes of a physical exam are to look for any underlying conditions early on, evaluate your future risk of certain diseases, update necessary vaccinations and immunizations, and ensure you eat healthy and exercise regularly. Primary care practitioners, including doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, can perform this exam.
A physical examination is generally recommended once a year, especially for adults aged 50 and above. Your primary care provider will do the following during your exam:
- Take a record of your medical and family history. It may include questions about any medications or supplements you have been taking, allergies, recent surgeries, recent health changes, reviewing personal health concerns, and notable symptoms.
- Record your height and weight and note any recent changes in these measurements.
- Check your vital signs, i.e., taking your blood pressure and checking your heart and respiratory rates.
- Use a stethoscope to listen to your heartbeat for irregularities and check your breathing.
- Examine your nervous system functions like speech and walking.
- Check your hearing and vision.
- Look into your mouth using a light and a tongue depressor.
- An otoscope, a medical instrument used to examine the inside of the ear canal for infections or other ear conditions, can be used to perform this procedure.
- Visually inspect your skin, hair, and nails for any abnormalities. Unusual moles, rashes, or breakouts can be a cause of concern and be a warning sign of skin disease or any other health issue within your body.
- Tap areas of your body (percussion) to test your reflexes and motor functions.
- Examine your breast, pelvic, or prostate areas, depending on your age and anatomy.
- Check for swelling of the lymph nodes on the side of your neck by gently pressing against them.
- Ask you if your vaccinations and immunizations are up to date. These may include vaccinations for the flu, tetanus, HPV, COVID-19, hepatitis A and B, and other conditions.
Find a primary care doctor near you in Bolingbrook, Illinois
Primary care physicians aid in the early detection of chronic illnesses like diabetes, kidney issues, heart disease, and cancer. They also assist you in gaining access to more advanced care by making referrals to specialists—potentially reducing the risk of progression of life-threatening conditions and cutting your overall medical expenditure. Therefore, seeing a PCP for routine checkups can help you stay healthy in the long run.
That said, finding a primary care doctor you can trust and be comfortable around can be challenging. You may have several questions and requirements. In such cases, Zocdoc can help you find the right specialist from the comfort of your home. Zocdoc allows users to see and book a video or in-person appointment with a primary care doctor near you within minutes.
You can start by visiting the website, entering your condition or symptom, location, and appointment date in the search box, and hitting find. Once you see the personalized list, browse each healthcare provider's profile, which contains information about their licenses, certifications, education, training, expertise, experience, and awards earned. You will also find honest and verified patient reviews for every primary care doctor near you.
Furthermore, you can refine the results based on gender, hospital affiliation, language, and whether they treat children. Depending on your provider's availability, you can schedule an appointment for the same day, 24 hours before 10 a.m., after work (after 5 p.m.), or even on the weekends.
You can also find in-network providers on Zocdoc either by manually selecting your insurance plan from the drop-down menu on the website or by uploading an image of your insurance card. Uploading a photo of your insurance card will be helpful if you cannot find your specific plan listed on Zocdoc. Zocdoc will then scan the image of your card and show you your likely plan. Note that this option is only available for medical insurance cards. Dental and vision are excluded. If you are having trouble uploading your insurance card, contact Zocdoc's service team. For more insurance-related information, check out Zocdoc's patient help center.
All bookings with a primary care doctor near you on Zocdoc are fast, free, and secure!
Primary care statistics for Illinois
Some primary care specialties include family medicine, general internal medicine, and pediatrics. According to the 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, Illinois employed nearly 910 general internal medicine physicians as of May 2021 and over 2,670 family medicine physicians.
According to an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) report, in 2019, over 36,240 active physicians practiced in Illinois. Of these, nearly 12,685 were primary care physicians. The Illinois physician workforce comprised approximately 14,010 female physicians. Over 4000 primary care physicians specialized in family medicine, almost 5,261 practiced internal medicine, and 2,352 specialized in pediatrics.
A 2021 American Diabetes Association (ADA) report indicated that approximately 10% of the Illinois adult population, i.e., roughly 993,082 people, have been diagnosed with diabetes. Each year, over 88,000 people in the state are diagnosed with diabetes. Additionally, about 296,000 adults in Illinois are unaware of their diabetes. Over 3.3 million, i.e., around 34% of adults in Illinois have prediabetes.
Sources
American Academy of Family Physicians[1]
American Academy of Family Physicians[2]
Healthline[1]
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
Cleveland Clinic[1]
National Center for Biotechnology Information
UNC Health Talk
National Alliance on Mental Illness
MedlinePlus
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Association of American Medical Colleges
American Diabetes Association
Healthline[2]
Healthline[3]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
WebMD[3]
Intercoastal Medical Group
