Finding the right Physician

A few days ago, while speaking with a prospective recruit over the phone, he mentioned that he would have to forgo a previous arrangement because he had missed one too many doctor’s appointments and if he didn’t go to his next one his physician was going to fire him. You heard me correctly, he was being fired by his physician. I told him to go right ahead, to feel better, and contact me when he knew he would be available.

What sounds like an isolated instance of an irate doctor actually occurs pretty frequently across the country. While the majority of patient-doctor relationships end for relatively non-descript reasons, such as moving, physicians will occasionally decide to drop a patient or two. Whether it’s because of missed appointments, failure to pay, or simply the fact that physicians could use a little time to tend to themselves, it happens.

Since it’s a tad bit difficult to compile a list of reasons physicians drop their patients, I’ve compiled a check list for finding the right physician.

Treat the patient-physician relationship like an intimate relationship.

There are a surprising amount of similarities between the relationship between patients and physicians and that of two lovebirds. Both involve loads of trust, vulnerability, and most obviously, seeing your most private body parts. If you’ve been together for a long time, it’s always difficult to end the relationship, because just like in an intimate relationship, the ideal result is a life-long partnership. Finding new partners and finding new physicians? Both take a little time and a whole lot of baby steps.

Never forget that this is a life-long relationship you are kindling. If you feel it in your gut that they are not the right one for you, keep looking, there are plenty of physicians out there. There’s no need to rush into the wrong relationship.

Meet the family

Never forget that you’re not just looking for physicians. You’re looking for physicians with a staff that will treat you the way you deserve. You may find a physician that seems amazing, but their receptionist is lethargic, their assistants are rude, and the nurse is just plain out mean. Do you really want to deal with them every time you’re at the physician’s? What if you’re feeling desperately ill and need to be squeezed into the weekend schedule at the last minute? Will the receptionist give you the cold shoulder? Just as a day with the in-laws can ruin your weekend, the same applies for your doctor’s staff.

Go with your gut.

Searching for objective information about physicians is highly recommended. Are they recommended by other physicians? Do they specialize in a field that you have a family history of problems in? Does your physician have any disciplinary or malpractice cases against him? These are all important questions, but never forget that it’s perfectly okay to reject physicians simply because there is something about them that makes you feel uneasy.

Physician

No matter what you are going through in your life, there always needs to be time and effort put into maintaining your health. Treating your body well right now will save you from an array of problems in the future. Many citizens are dying from conditions that could have been prevented had they visited their physicians in a timely manner or made some simple changes to their lifestyle. There are many reasons why somebody should visit a physician, even for those of you that think you are invincible or that you won’t need to deal with health issues until you are older. Here are some instances where you should head over to a clinic, no matter what your views on physicians are.

1. Annual checkup – Even if you have never contracted an illness in your life, it is important that you visit a physician for an annual checkup. During this time, physicians will check your blood pressure, reflexes, height, weight, and blood work. For men, prostate exams are recommended every few years, and for women, physicians will perform a mammogram and bone density tests. If there is some irregularities in these simple tests, it might lead to the discovery of a larger problem. Early detection of these problems could be lifesaving. If you are not currently going for annual checkups, find a physician and begin doing so immediately.

2. Questions – If you have any medical questions whatsoever, speaking with a physician is going to be the best course of action. Physicians are there not only to prescribe medications and hit your knee with a mallet. They have plenty of information that they are willing to share with their patients, all you have to do is ask.

3. Irregularities – When something in your body is not functioning the way it should be, a physician should be visited to see what exactly is going on. Physicians may be able to diagnose the problem on their own, or they could refer you to somebody that will be able to help you further. If you know what your problem is already, visiting a physician might net you a referral to the doctor you need. This way, your insurance company can cover the expenses.

4. Specialty physicians – If you have been having problems with your heart, you will likely be speaking with a cardiology physician. If somebody is pregnant, there are many obstetrics physicians they can go to. Most parts of the body and all the organs have their own specialists.

Visiting a physician might seem like a chore, but in the end you are helping yourself. Physicians exist for our benefit, and they have been vital in the elongation of the human lifespan over the past few hundred years. Just this century alone, the lifespan as nearly doubled due to increased physician knowledge and visitation. The research being done by physicians daily is going to keep us healthier and for many years longer.