PCP stands for a Primary Care Physician. PCPs are family or general medical practitioners, internists, or pediatricians. It is important to have a PCP because they know your history and can direct your overall care. Family doctors specialize in health and not disease. Their goal is to help patients have healthy lifestyles and correct minor problems that have the potential to worsen.
Primary Care Physicians make a living by helping people shop for good medical care. If a specialist is needed, a PCP will know who to contact to better serve the patient. Here are some recommendations for looking for a good PCP:
· Look for a PCP when you’re healthy.
· Make a list of candidates by asking friends,
family, and coworkers.
· Check credentials of candidates you are inter
ested in by going to American Board of Family
Medicine website:
http://www.theabfm.org/.
· Know what doctors accept your health insur-
ance
· Know what qualities your family needs most in
a family doctor.
· Contact the doctor’s office to make an
appointment to meet with the doctor and ask
questions.
If a person is unsure if a situation is an emergency the best resource is to contact his or her PCP. Most have after-hours coverage by phone. You may speak to them or another physician or nurse to ask questions so they can determine if you need immediate care or if it can wait until regular business hours. However, if you are unsure if the situation is serious or if it could become life threatening, you should go to an emergency room. Your family doctor can be contacted from the emergency room and provide the ER doctor with your medical history and help determine what should happen next. When in doubt the emergency room is always there for your healthcare needs.
