Good Lifestyle

We all need service services in our lives in whom we can trust, whether they cut their hair or repair our cars. But among all those that we hire to take care of us, maybe no one is more important than our doctor, also known as our primary care provider (PCP) or general practitioner (GP). Since our lives can be literally in their hands, having one on which we can count is crucial.

"You want to find someone who is compassionate and attentive, and who is ready to work with you on the goals you have for your well-being," doctor and consultant Laura Purdy , Md, tells Better life .

We asked Purdy, with Teri Dreher , Rn, the Owner and chief executive officer of North Shore patient Advocates And a defender of the certified patient of the board of directors, how to know that it is time to go from your current general practitioner - and how to find a better one.

"Doctoral sites like Healthgrades or Zocdoc must be taken with a grain of salt, because they can be organized, biased or [have] bad journals," says Dreher concerning the latter. And, she adds, even a five-star review may not mean much. "Stars are not an excellent indicator, as they can be self-detached," she shares.

A better strategy? "Ask around your friends and family and see if someone has recommendations," suggests Purdy. "People who love their PCP will often be ready to recommend them to other people."

But how do you know it's time to start buying a new doc? Read the continuation for five Red Flags Purdy and Dreher say they are clear indicators that a change is necessary.

Read this then: 4 frightening symptoms that are generally false alarms, according to doctors .

We have probably all experienced the frustration of facing a receptionist of the reception who does not seem to listen to us, or a help of nurse who strikes the door less than a minute after having asked us to change in paper dress . But even if they can be common, rudeness and impatience should not be rejected as a common part of a doctor's visit.

No matter how much you like your real health care provider, Dreher says that hostile staff is sufficient to go away, noting that "coarse office staff or poor quality, [or] no follow -up on The commitments made "are unacceptable.

"A good primary care doctor should be a combination of skills and experience [with] good communication and human skills," said Dreher.

Purdy develops, by saying: "It is important that primary care physicians are accessible, available, open, compassionate, without judgment and united. This does not necessarily mean that your doctor must do everything you ask them to do, but They should be willing to have a conversation with you about your priorities, and what bothers you the most. They should at least have a dialogue and engage and share in decision -making to help determine what is the best result for you. "

Read this then: 5 questions that your pharmacist wants to ask you before taking statins .

This one, which Dreher lists like a red flag, can be extremely frustrating. After all, if you don't feel good or have a question about your medical care, you don't want to wait for an answer.

If your telephone calls, your emails and your patient portal messages "are not answered at the end of the day, or not at all," says Dreher, it's time to move on. (And even if we are on the subject, it is worth asking you if your doctor Fees to respond to emails .)

When we take a new medication at the pharmacy, most of us do not think twice to find out whether it is careful or not. If our doctor prescribed it and the pharmacist filled it, then it must be ok, right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

"Each year, in the United States only, 7,000 to 9,000 people die following a drug error." It is according to a report from the National Library of Medicine Medicines distribution errors And how to prevent them.

Dreher confirms that this is something to watch, saying that "drugs that interfere with current drugs", as well as prescriptions for bad medication, are a revealing sign that you need a new PCP urgently .

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"The number one sign you need to find a new PCP? If you feel like you need to find a new PCP, then you do it!" Said Purdy, who encourages us to follow our instincts. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"If you notice that your doctor takes a long time to answer you, is not willing to hear your concerns, does not take the time to develop a good relationship with you and do not deal with you as if you were the only patient in World, take this as a sign that it may be time for you to look elsewhere, "she advises.

And Dreher agrees, saying that if "your intuition tells you that your doctor is too rushed, exhausted or not concentrated enough on you the best care", then you would better find someone else.