Five Signs It’s Time for a New Doctor
Service people are essential in our lives, no matter if they’re fixing our cars or cutting our hair. Our doctor (also known as our primary healthcare provider (PCP), is perhaps the most important of all those who we hire to take care of us. general practitioner (GP). Our lives could be literally in their hands so it is important to have someone we can trust.
“You want to find someone who is compassionate and caring, and who is willing to work with you on the goals that you have for your wellness,” Physician and consultant Laura PurdyMD, tells Best Life.
We also asked Purdy Teri DreherRN, the North Shore Patient Advocates’ CEO and a board-certified patient advocate, how to know it’s time to move on from your current GP—and how to find a better one.
“Doctor-locating sites like Healthgrades or Zocdoc should be taken with a grain of salt, as they can be curated, biased, or [have] poor reviews removed,” Dreher has some words of wisdom regarding the former. Dreher adds that even a 5-star review might not be enough. “Stars are not a great indicator, as they can be self-reported,” She shares.
Is there a better strategy? “Ask around to your friends and family and see if someone has recommendations,” Purdy. “People who love their PCP will often be willing to recommend them to other people.”
How do you know when it’s time for a change? Here are five indicators Purdy and Dreher believe will let you know that it’s time to change.
READ THIS: According to Doctors, 4 Worrying Symptoms Are Often False Alarms.
You’ve likely experienced frustration with a front-desk receptionist who doesn’t seem to pay attention to you, or a nurse’s aide who knocks the door less than one minute after asking you to change into a paper dress. These are not uncommon, but they shouldn’t be ignored as part of a doctor’s office visit.
Dreher states that even though you might like your healthcare provider, unfriendly staff can be a reason to leave. “poor quality or rude office staff, [or] no follow-through on commitments made” are unacceptable.
“A good primary care physician should be a combination of skill and experience [along with] good communication and people skills,” says Dreher.
Purdy elaborates on this, “It is important that primary care doctors are accessible, available, open, compassionate, non-judgmental, and supportive. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your doctor has to do every single thing you ask them to do, but they should be willing to have a conversation with you about what your priorities are, and what is bothering you the most. They should be willing to at least have a dialogue and engage and share in decision-making to help determine what is the best outcome for you.”
READ THIS: 5 Questions Your Pharmacist Wants You to Ask Before You Take Statins.
This one, which Dreher calls a red alert, can be very frustrating. You don’t want the wait for a reply if you aren’t feeling well or have questions about your medical care.
Your phone calls, emails and patient portal messages are not answered. “are not answered by the end of the day, or not answered at all,” Dreher states that it is time to move on. (And, while we’re on this subject: It’s worth asking your doctor if you’re okay with it. There are charges for answering emails.)
Most of us do not think twice about whether or no medication is safe to be taken when we go to the pharmacy. It must be okay if it was prescribed by our doctor and filled by the pharmacist. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true.
“Each year, in the United States alone, 7,000 to 9,000 people die as a result of a medication error.” This is according to a National Library of Medicine Report. medication dispensing errors They can be prevented.
Dreher confirmed that this is something you need to be on the lookout for. “medications that interfere with present medications,” Prescriptions for the wrong medication are an indicator that you urgently need a new PCP.
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“The number one sign that you need to find a new PCP? If you feel like you need to find a new PCP, then you do!” Purdy encourages us all to trust our instincts, says Purdy.
“If you find that your doctor takes a long time to get back to you, isn’t willing to hear your concerns, doesn’t take the time to develop a good rapport with you, and doesn’t treat you like you’re the only patient in the world, take that as a sign that it may be time for you to look elsewhere,” She advises.
Dreher is also in agreement, stating that “if…” “your intuition tells you that your doctor is too rushed, burned out, or not focused enough on providing the best care to you,” You’d be better off looking for someone else.
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