How Often Should Patients Meet Their Doctors?

How Often Should Patients Meet Their Doctors?

The EHR has completely changed the way physicians communicate with their patients --physicians are preoccupied with their EHR that they cannot focus completely on the patient.

A solution to this problem is EHR-integrated medical transcription services.

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(800) 670 2809

MTS Transcription Services United States

Physician - patient relationship can go a long way in helping patients stay healthy and receive the best patient care. Interviewing the patient, processing their concerns and talking them through evaluation are the important aspects of your communicative role as physician. However, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) has completely changed the way physicians communicate with their patients, i.e. physicians are often preoccupied with their EHR that they cannot focus completely on the patient. A solution to this problem is utilizing EHR-integrated medical transcription services.

When it comes to physician – patient communication, regular visits are a great occasion to establish a good rapport. Just like the saying “prevention is better than cure” patients can visit doctors even when they are healthy to prevent any illness. How often should patients schedule visits to their physician? Many doctors like Dr. Jennifer Caudle, a family physician and assistant professor at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey feel that people mostly forgo seeing a doctor until they get really sick. She says it is a problem partly because then the appointment will be focused on treating your illness rather than on offering preventive care like screenings and vaccines. www.wellandgood.com carried an article on this topic, which revealed the opinions of doctors from different medical specialties.

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Primary care: According to One Medical’s Brian Secemsky, MD visiting a primary care physician is important because it helps obtain a basic idea about your health and is an opportunity to build trust with the doctor. He says that a routine checkup involves a physical examination and covers all age and gender appropriate screenings and vaccines along with mental health, nutrition, exercise and general wellbeing. Blood panels and other lab tests may be a part of this check-up but every person may not require it. The doctor will decide what is right for the patient. The doctor would give some indication about the next appointment at the end of the visit. The gap between the appointments may be weeks, months or even years, depending on the health of the individual.

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Dermatologist: According to Jacqueline Schaffer, annual exam of the skin is important to help spot signs of skin cancer. Doctors are well-trained to spot subtle signs of trouble that a patient might miss. Dermatologists can compare any changes in moles, reddish scaly patches or any other discoloration on the skin from previous examination. If the patient’s family has a history of skin cancer then the dermatologist may want to see the patient more than once a year.

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Gynecologist: Charles Ascher-Walsh, Mount Sinai Hospital, seeing a gynecologist annually for a pelvic exam is important if you are sexually active or have turned 21 years old for STD testing. If you have a history of normal pap smears, then

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you can get a test once in three years and IF HPV screening is also included in the pap and if it is normal, then a pap smear every five years would be ideal. The doctor may suggest breast cancer screening until the age of 40 but screening will vary based on the family history. Dr. Ascher-Walsh recommends that it is best for women to do breast self-exams every month. It is also important to see a gynecologist for any gynecological issues that persists for longer that six weeks or is debilitating in any way.

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Dentist: According to Beverly Hills-based dentist Dustin Cohen, most adults should be getting their cleaned three to four times a year. Frequent cleaning helps to reduce the overall bacteria load inside the mouth and ensure less cavities. Bleeding gum is a sign of chronic inflammation in your mouth. A full dental exam with X-ray is important and do not be afraid to revisit in case of tooth sensitivity or a lump. For any health issue, identifying it in the earliest stages allows for a more simplified treatment. Simple treatments are less expensive, less painful and require less time in the dental office.

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Mental health pro: Sepideh Saremi of Los Angeles’ Run Walk Talk says that you should always seek professional opinion if your symptoms include thoughts of harming yourself or others, or if your symptoms are interfering with your ability to work, eat, sleep, or maintain relationships. The frequency of visits will be based on the severity of your symptoms and the therapist’s method.

Let us look at certain important things patients need to consider when planning to visit their doctor.

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The last time you visited the doctor: If it has been too long, it is important to schedule a visit immediately. Such visits will help the doctor discuss concerns such as your stress levels, sleep quality, diet and exercise habits, work and family life – all of which play important roles in your overall health.

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Whether you are experiencing any particular symptoms: If you are experiencing some symptoms that may indicate a health concern, don’t hesitate to schedule an immediate visit.

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The last time the doctor asked you to follow up: Based on the results of a patient’s last test and other factors that may have an impact on health such as your age or whether you smoke and so on, there may be constantly updated variations on schedules for routine tests and vaccines.

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Whether there is anything you want to follow-up on with the doctor: Maybe you were asked to reduce weight, or bring your blood pressure to normal level with some lifestyle changes. If the first set of recommendations didn’t work for you,

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the doctor can refer you to other healthcare professionals who may be able to help. •

Your family medical history: If your father or mother, or other first-degree relative is diagnosed with a hereditary or debilitating disease, it may change when you should start being screened for that particular disease or health condition.

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Whether you have a chronic condition: Patients having chronic medical conditions that require medicine must see a doctor more than once a year. How often you go would depend on whether your condition is controlled.

Thus the timing of how often one needs to see a doctor can vary. It is important to make a schedule and decide when the next visit is due. A good doctor- patient relationship is vital for good health and visiting the doctor helps to build trust among both parties.

Physicians, on their part, must focus on spending more quality time with their patients and this is possible when their documentation workload is lowered. This can be ensured by partnering with a reliable medical transcription company.

www.medicaltranscriptionservicecompany.com

(800) 670 2809