Dr. Scott Renshaw, family medicine physician at IU Health, answers common questions about how to choose a primary care physician and what to expect during that first visit.
Why do you need a family care doc?
If you visit your primary care physician each year, it’s his or her job to keep you healthy. So maintaining good health is the top priority. Also, if you need referrals to specialists, your primary care physician can act as your advocate and help you get the resources you need, plus they’re typically aware of resources you may not know exist.
What should you look for in choosing the right doctor for you?
First, you have to decide what you want in a doctor. If you want a physician whose office is located close to your home and has convenient office hours, you should start your search based on those criteria. Another thing to consider is how much you want out of your physician. Some doctors are comfortable doing more things—such as removing a concerning mole—whereas other doctors prefer to connect you with a specialist.
How important is feeling comfortable with the physician?
A lot of my time is spent making patients feel comfortable. My patients need to tell me what’s going on in their health or else I can’t help them. I have to build a degree of comfort and confidence with my patients so they will share personal information. I try to get to know you as a person, as well as a patient: Do you have a dog? Are you married? Do you have any kids? What do you do for a living? Do you travel? What’s your favorite restaurant? Asking these familiarizing questions helps me better take care of you and your family.
What should I expect at my first appointment with a new physician?
I recommend you bring your medical history as well as a list of your medications or a bag of your pill bottles so I can get to know your medical needs. One thing many people often forget to have handy is their family medical history. Sharing your family medical history is important because some things are hereditary and we need to know that. Do your homework before your first visit —ask around in the family to see if there’s anything your potential doctor should know. Also, bring a list of 2-3 things you want to address in your first appointment.
How often should I have regular checkups?
You should have a checkup once a year. I’m a pretty healthy guy but I check in with my physician each year. One example I use is to explain why this is important is a patient with high blood pressure —he may not be aware of this problem because initially, nothing physically hurts and he wouldn’t know he had an issue until it worsens. Over time, high blood pressure can lead to kidney and liver damage, strokes or heart attacks. If you aren’t being examined regularly, you’re not going to know. I always tell my patients, I understand that making and keeping an appointment takes time and effort, but if you keep up with it every year, those yearly appointments are fairly easy.
SIDEBAR:
QUICK ACCESS: IU Health patients have quick and easy access to their physician with a patient portal tool called My IU Health. Users can log onto their account and send their physician an email. Log on to MyIUHealth.org for more information.
