After two years of facing pandemic woes, it is time to make your health a top priority again. While you may think a primary care appointment is not urgent and it’s OK to put off a visit with your provider, you may be setting yourself up for potentially serious health issues later. Cancer and other major health concerns are being discovered at advanced stages more than ever before and taking action can help reverse these concerning trends.

Finding a PCP that’s Right for You

Primary care offices are also known as health centers or a doctor’s office. These offices feature family medicine providers specially trained for treating patients of all ages. These offices may feature physicians (MD and DO), certified nurse practitioners (CRNP), and physician assistants (PA-C).

Primary care offices are…
– Open during the week, and may offer extended hours for evenings or weekends
– Your best resource for physical exams, wellness screenings, and immunizations
– Intended to manage chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, minor acute conditions like common cold, UTI, and your overall wellness
– Helpful for diagnosing problems early, and connecting you with specialists as needed for outpatient evaluation and/or testing

Choosing a PCP is a long-term commitment to your health. To get the most out of the relationship, you should consider factors such as office location, services offered, and how confident you are that you can establish a lasting relationship with the provider. Your family, friends, neighbors, or co-workers are also good resources and will be able to make sound recommendations. Finally, make sure that the PCP accepts your insurance and is affiliated with hospitals included in your health care coverage.

Seeing a primary care doctor regularly is the key to maintaining your overall health. Through regular visits, your provider gets to know you, your family history, and your lifestyle. They recommend preventive health screenings and immunizations based on your age and individual health care needs. By developing a trusted relationship with a regular doctor, you can talk honestly and openly about your health concerns.

Preparing for Your Primary Care Visit

Once you find a provider, the next step is scheduling an appointment and preparing for that first visit. The first visit is often a “new patient” visit in which the provider will get to know you better by talking with you about your lifestyle, family history, current issues or conditions, and performing a physical, which may include bloodwork. All of this information helps the provider paint a picture or your health and wellness, as well as helps establish the relationship. Preparing for the visit is nothing to stress about and it can help you have an even better appointment. For example, you can write down a list of questions or symptoms that you may have so that you can start the conversation about your health. It would also be helpful to note the times and dates of your symptoms so you will not have to rely on your memory.

Don’t forget other important items, such as:
– Insurance Card
– Co-pay that is listed on your insurance card
– Photo Identification (ID) such as a valid driver’s license
– List of current medications and/or herbal supplements you are taking
– Any completed forms that your doctor’s office may have provided you.

Don’t Delay, Schedule Today

If it has been a year or more since the last time you saw a primary care provider, it’s time to schedule a visit. Once you get past making the first appointment, you can request your health care team to automatically set up an annual schedule so that you don’t have to remember to do so. With regular visits, you develop a good relationship with your provider and give them the opportunity to get to know you and your health history, ultimately allowing them to take excellent care of you.

UPMC facilities are safe and continue to go above and beyond to ensure the highest quality care is given, so please do not delay your preventative screenings.

By David Luo, DO
Primary Care, UPMC

David Luo, DO, sees patients at UPMC Outpatient Center, 1 Outlet Lane, Suite 400, Lock Haven, PA 17745. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Luo, patients can call 570-769-1300. For more information, go to UPMC.com/PrimaryCareNCPA.