Living a healthy lifestyle means more than eating right and exercising. It also involves seeing your doctor on a regular basis for routine checkups. Your primary care physician is your first link in creating a strong healthcare chain.
You want to build and maintain a close relationship with your primary care physician. He or she can help you when you’re feeling ill and monitor your general health. By seeing you on a regular basis, he or she will be able to notice changes that may indicate the presence of illness or disease. Your primary care physician can also help you create a plan for healthy living by helping you identify the areas you need to improve upon so that you can reduce potential risk factors for certain diseases.
Lancaster General works closely with many primary care physicians, including members of Lancaster General Medical Group (LGMG). Jerome Gottlieb, MD, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, LGMG, says that selecting a primary care physician is an important decision.
“In choosing a primary care physician, you may look at the physician’s gender, office location (proximity to where you live or work) and experience,” Dr. Gottlieb says. “If you know someone who goes to a specific doctor, you may want to ask him or her about the physician’s demeanor. You may prefer your physicians to be direct or you may prefer a softer approach. Some people may also feel it’s important to learn about the physician’s training by reading a brochure or researching on the Internet.”
Brian Sullivan, MD, Family Practice Associates of Lancaster (an LGMG practice), says that some people may also want a physician who specializes in a particular area. Primary care physicians may specialize in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatric medicine, obstetrics/gynecology and geriatrics.
In addition, some doctors have special interests and have undertaken advanced study in different aspects of medicine such as sports, geriatrics and diabetes. LGMG primary care physicians participate in a nationally recognized staged diabetes management (SDM) plan.
“If you have diabetes or are at risk for developing it, our SDM plan has been extremely successful in improving control of the illness and reducing complications,” Dr. Gottlieb says.
Another factor patients may also want to check with their physicians is to see where they have hospital privileges and what types of insurance they accept.
“You will be able to get most of this information over the phone,” Dr. Gottlieb advises. “At the same time, you may also want to ask if they are taking new patients and inquire about how long it takes to get an appointment.”
Some LGMG physicians are starting to use the “Open Access” approach to scheduling. “These practices are leaving a significant portion of a physician’s day open so patients can call the day before or that same day and get an appointment,” Dr. Gottlieb says.
You may also want to see if the physician offers online bill payment or appointment scheduling. Both options are becoming more common. “Conveniences like these help reduce waiting times by allowing people to take care of scheduling and bill payment at their convenience,” Dr. Gottlieb says.
Word-of-mouth is another good indicator when choosing a physician. Ask people you trust who they would recommend. “Our patient satisfaction surveys show that more than 95 percent of our patients would refer a family member or friend to our practices,” Dr. Gottlieb says.
Before your first visit with your new doctor, Dr. Sullivan recommends organizing your health information, bringing in a list of questions and a list of your medications. “If you spend a few moments documenting your medical history and listing your concerns, you’ll help your doctor help you,” Dr. Sullivan says.
If you are looking for a primary care physician, www.LancasterGeneral.org has a “Find a Doctor” feature you can use to search for physicians based on specialty, location and gender.
Primary Care Specialities