Primary care and its objectives
Primary care delivers culturally competent, comprehensive, and integrated care to diverse patients. Primary care providers often practice within the community context (such as at a local health center) to achieve these goals.
Primary care providers include physicians, nurse practitioners (NP), and physician assistants (PA). Specialist physicians (who have advanced residency or fellowship training) can also serve as primary care providers, including:
- Family practitioners (also known as family physicians or family medicine specialists)
- Pediatricians
- Obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYN)
- Geriatricians
All these professionals work collaboratively with other non-primary specialists to ensure patients receive proper care. Usually, only licensed physicians, e.g., doctors with an MD or DO degree, can lead a primary care team. However, non-physician practitioners and other specialists also play a crucial role.
The main objectives of primary care are ensuring better health and care at more affordable rates for everyone. Primary care physicians (PCPs) achieve these goals by providing comprehensive and continuing care. PCPs develop and sustain highly valued relationships with their patients. Over the long term, the physician becomes aware of the patient's medical needs, family context, and risk profile. Patients can more freely discuss their medical needs and receive high-quality care.
Unlike more specialty care providers, primary care physicians welcome all kinds of undifferentiated (undiagnosed ) and differentiated patients and address all their health concerns - including the risk of developing an illness in the future. As reported in research studies, this comprehensive coverage also leads to better community health outcomes, including more significant equity. PCPs also play a valuable role in managing chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
Educational qualifications of a primary care doctor in the United States of America
Primary care doctors must undergo training and education in the United States of America. The initial step to becoming a physician is to complete a four-year undergraduate (UG) degree. It involves education, including pre-medical school courses, namely chemistry and biology.
The next step is that the aspiring candidates must enroll in a four-year medical school. Here, budding physicians usually attend classes including physiology and anatomy. Moreover, they should take part in various clinical rotations where they get an opportunity to learn and understand the different areas of the medical field.
Following medical school, a primary care physician (PCP) has to complete a residency program in internal medicine, family medicine, gynecology, or pediatrics. These programs usually take more than three years. Once the candidate completes their residency program, a few PCPs start their practice. Others choose to create a fellowship program. It is extended training in a particular aspect of medicine, preventive medicine, or obstetrics.
To become a board-certified PCP in the United States, an aspirant has to complete 11 years of schooling. It includes four years of an undergraduate program, four years of medical school, and a minimum of three years in a residency program. Furthermore, some primary care physician candidates enroll an additional one to three years in a fellowship program.
Why does access to primary care matter?
Many public health initiatives, including the Healthy People 2030 program, seek to improve access to quality primary care. But why does it matter so much?
The main reason is the impact of primary care on community health outcomes. Primary care professionals diagnose, treat, and prevent all non-emergency conditions, often lowering healthcare costs. Coupled with the first contact, continuing, and comprehensive care that PCPs provide, patients of all cultural backgrounds and income groups can benefit from care.
Here are some other benefits of receiving primary care:
Primary care providers act as a patient's main entry point into the healthcare system. Your PCP not only makes diagnoses and offers treatment, but they will also discuss your overall health and suggest lifestyle changes. With their extensive professional networks, PCPs can direct you to the right specialist provider.
In many underserved communities, primary care centers act as a one-stop-shop, providing access to quality healthcare. Primary care centers also offer other services, such as immunization, acute curative care, X-ray imaging, etc., on a sliding fee scale. Many primary care providers are within the community (e.g., a private office or center in the village). It allows for easier access and convenience than hospital-based outpatient facilities.
Your primary care team includes practitioners with varying domains of expertise. The group provides you with comprehensive and quality care. For instance, the licensed physician may perform a full-body checkup while the nurse practitioner (NP) takes care of prescription renewals. This division of labor allows for more effective holistic care, shorter wait times, and more efficient care delivery.
A significant part of sustainable public health policy is reducing the disease burden. By adopting a preventive approach, PCPs minimize the load on the healthcare system. It also leads to fewer health complications and lower expenditure for the patients. For instance, many PCPs encourage patients to adopt healthier behaviors, e.g., quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and eating a nutrient-rich diet.
Thanks to their practice in the heart of communities, PCPs can identify and curb local outbreaks before they become an epidemic. Primary care providers also help influence patient behavior through campaigns promoting vaccination, blood donation, or safer sex.
Patients visit their PCP at fixed, regular intervals, regardless of new symptoms. It means the doctor has access to patient data, such as the results of screening tests, blood tests, vitals (blood pressure numbers or glucose levels), breast examinations, pap smears, etc. Given this data, the PCP can flag the onset of any illness before it becomes severe. For instance, a patient who just began to show symptoms of prediabetes may be asked to change diet and exercise before developing changes in diet and exercise before setting changes in diet and exercise before developing type-2 diabetes.
- A trusted doctor-patient relationship
Primary care practitioners can provide the best possible care. They understand the patient's unique needs, such as their lifestyle, professional opinions, or socio-cultural background. Such enduring relationships also lead to improved access to healthcare, with same-day,next-day, or even telephone consultations.
How often should you visit a primary care physician?
It is essential to visit a PCP for regular screenings and checkups. Depending on the age, family history, gender, and other health conditions, the doctor will suggest you get checked once a year, once in three years, or once in five years.
However, a few health complications demand frequent screenings. If you have a condition like heart issues or diabetes, you must get checked frequently.
What are chronic diseases?
Chronic diseases are medical disorders that persist for over a year and require continuous medical care. Some chronic conditions may even disrupt your daily routine. A few people may also suffer from more than one chronic condition, significantly affecting their overall health and quality of life.
According to America's Health Rankings website, three or more chronic conditions in a patient are termed multiple chronic conditions. Such patients belong to the highest care needing category of the population as each chronic illness requires additional monitoring, medication, and continuous care. Moreover, multiple chronic conditions also increase the risk of depression, mortality, adverse drug usage, unnecessary hospitalizations, and social, physical, and cognitive limitations.
Multiple chronic conditions also have a substantial economic burden on the individual. According to America's Health Rankings website, adults with five or more chronic conditions spend about 14 times more on health care than adults without chronic illnesses. As per the latest estimates, for every dollar spent on healthcare, about 71 cents is spent on treating multiple chronic conditions.
How do we decrease the risk of chronic diseases?
Reducing the risk of chronic illnesses is essential for long-term good health and well-being. Lifestyle modifications, quitting smoking, a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, and regular physical activity can help you stay healthy and away from common chronic illnesses. It also enables you to manage your existing chronic conditions effectively.
Regular health checkups at the primary care doctor help to understand your condition and receive proactive treatment. It prevents the disease from becoming a major health complication.
Tips on choosing the right primary care doctor near you
Here are the questions that can help you choose a primary care doctor best suited for your needs, personality, and lifestyle.
- What are their qualifications and experience?
- Are they certified to provide primary care?
- Do they employ a more aggressive or conservative approach to treatment?
- Do they focus on disease treatment or prevention?
- How do they decide on the patient's need for a specialist?
- Do they communicate with the patient(by email, in person, or the phone)
- What are the doctor's office hours?
- How long do you need to wait to get an appointment?
- Who should you reach out to when the PCP is on vacation?
Finding the best primary care doctor near you
Whether you are experiencing symptoms of the common cold or fever or looking to lead a healthier, happier life, choosing the proper primary care professional may be your first step. However, narrowing the best affordable primary care physicians in San Antonio can be difficult.
However, with Zocdoc, you can easily browse hundreds of top-rated PCPs near you. Take a look at verified and up-to-date customer reviews before making your choice. After all, primary care is all about patient-doctor relationships, and you'd want to find a culturally competent and reliable PCP.
Zocdoc also lets you search for primary care doctors based on your location or insurance network. You can enter your insurance carrier's name to find the best in-network providers (and save on out-of-pocket costs!) All our providers have detailed profiles. You can go through these profiles to learn more about your provider's license, educational qualifications, experience, and areas of expertise.
If you are worried about a busy schedule or tight budget, you can sort primary care doctors near you based on availability. You can also see their aggregate customer ratings on their profile. Once satisfied, you can easily make an in-person or online appointment.
All bookings on Zocdoc are simple, secure, and 100% free!
Statistics of primary care in San Antonio, Texas
83.9% of the residents of San Antonio have a health insurance plan. In 2019, Bexar County, of which San Antonio is a part, was home to 1,697 primary care providers. Currently, the ratio of patients to primary care providers in Texas is 1,642:1 - a testament to the growing demand for primary care doctors in the state.
Relatedly, Texas has launched the Primary Health Care Services Program. This scheme works with clinic sites across the state and ensures that all eligible Texans receive comprehensive primary care. Anybody who is a resident of Texas may apply to this program as long as their income is at or below 200% of federal poverty levels and they are not beneficiaries of other health care benefit programs.
Sources
News-Medical.net
American Academy of Family Physicians
U.S. News Health
Texas Department of State Health Services
Deloitte Datawheel
Texas Health and Human Services
Project Syndicate
Healthy People 2030
Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
America’s Health Rankings
