Family Medicine

What should I look for in choosing a new family physician?

Frank Filipetto, DO, FACOFP

A family physician’s focus should be on keeping you and your family healthy through health promotion and disease prevention. Therefore, choosing the right one is an important decision. Your family physician will care for you when you are sick, but also when you may be struggling with personal issues such as marital problems or substance abuse.

Despite the complexities of modern healthcare, many people still rely on a time-tested technique to choose a family physician. They ask their friends, relatives or co-workers to recommend someone. Convenience will often play a part in choosing a family physician, including whether or not that physician is an approved provider for your particular health insurance plan. You may also want to consider the physician’s academic and professional credentials. For example, is the physician board certified in family medicine?

The most important consideration that may not immediately come to mind in choosing a family physician is the physician’s communication and interpersonal skills. “Bedside manner,” a physician’s ability to communicate well, is a key element to a successful, long-term doctor/patient relationship as well as successful healthcare outcomes. It’s also one that’s hard to quantify yet easily recognized based on your experiences with a physician. For example, does the physician spend enough time with you? Does the physician answer your questions and explain things so that you really understand your healthcare? Is the physician immediately available to you by appointment or phone when you need help? Does the physician call you at home or in the hospital to see how you are doing during times of illness showing he/she really cares? If so, you’ve found your family physician.

Your family physician should respect your views on healthcare. For instance, if you prefer to incorporate alternative medical therapy into your care, you’ll want a physician who will consider this as an option. Similarly, if your culture or religion influences your healthcare decisions, your physician must always respect them even though the physician may have differing cultural or religious beliefs.

If you are looking for a family physician because you have relocated to a new area, ask your current physician to recommend a colleague in the area. You can also check with area hospitals or medical societies for the names of area physicians who provide the services you are looking for.

Once you’ve selected a new family physician, write down a list of questions to take to your first appointment. These should be questions that give you a feel for how the physician and office staff handle questions from patients and how they may handle other situations. Some questions you may want to include are:

What’s included during a routine physical examination? What annual screening tests are recommended and why?
If you have a chronic medical condition, does the new physician utilize other healthcare professionals as part of your treatment team?
Are there days when office hours are extended either earlier in the morning or later at night?
How long does it usually take to get an appointment? How quickly can patients with acute illness get in to see the doctor?
Will I always be seen by the same physician or will I be seen by different physicians or nurse practitioners?
What’s the policy on getting reports for laboratory or test results? Will the physician or a staff member call me with results?
Will abnormal results be discussed over the phone or is an appointment required?
Will I be able to speak to the physician between scheduled appointments if I have questions?
What’s the procedure for getting prescriptions or refills ordered?
Will the physician take care of me when I’m in the hospital?

Remember you are in charge of your healthcare so choosing a family physician to whom you will entrust your healthcare and that of your family’s may be the most important decision you’ll ever make. Make it wisely!

Originally Published in The University Doctors' MedicaLink - 7/08