A primary care physician is the first point of contact when people want to receive care. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 50% of doctor office appointments are made with primary doctors.

Primary care physicians take it upon themselves to get to know patients in person, which helps them attend to their needs. If you visit a primary care doctor, you should feel at ease discussing your care and health concerns because your overall well-being depends on it. With that said, check out some essential services primary care physicians offer.

1. Preventive Care

Primary doctors can offer preventive care to their patients, which typically includes check-ups and screenings to prevent them from contracting illnesses. Primary care physicians can also provide health promotion education or counseling to help patients care for themselves.

2. Disease Diagnosis

If a patient visits a hospital with specific symptoms, a primary care doctor diagnoses what they're suffering from. They can do this through physical exams and by sending the patient to the laboratory for blood tests and toxicology reports looking for diseases or illnesses.

3. Ongoing Care for Common Illnesses

A primary care doctor can continue to treat a patient for common conditions once diagnosed. Common illnesses or injuries include allergies, burns, colds, flu, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, sore throat, and stomach aches. Seeing your primary care physician will reduce the time you have to wait to get seen, as they'll be able to prioritize you. This way, you can get the treatment and medication you need faster.

4. Care for Chronic Illnesses

Primary doctors work alongside disease specialists such as cardiologists and oncologists when treating severe illnesses or chronic conditions such as Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and heart disease. Specialists keep primary care physicians updated on a patient's condition so that the primary care physician determines how to provide care.

5. Annual Check-Ups

Primary care doctors can also perform annual check-ups on individuals. Yearly check-ups are not only for people with a medical history. They're recommended for everyone because they can help detect underlying conditions before they potentially progress. Primary care doctors check for BMI (body mass index), blood pressure, heart rate, and more in annual appointments. A primary care physician can also check for conditions like diabetes, breast cancer, and prostate cancer in patients with a medical history.

Primary doctors are the first stop for medical care. Therefore, if you're feeling unwell, contact Hitchcock Family Medicine today to get started with an appointment.