Family Doctor Can Help You Navigate the Medical Maze

That there continues to be an explosive growth in the technologic aspects of modern medicine is no surprise to anyone who has been the recipient of health care in the last several years. One casualty of all these wonderful developments has been the quality of communication between caregivers and patients and their families. A recent study led weight to these conclusions in reporting that patients and their families often do not understand what their physicians are telling them. In addition to failing to understand, they are often too embarrassed to ask clarifying questions.

As a family physician, I am often witness to the confusion that patients struggle with. They also may depart angry after having seen the specialist, feeling that they have been either talked down to or just treated rudely, which may in fact not have been the case. The situation is often compounded when the care does not produce the hoped-for results.

I believe that some of this is part of the fallout from changes instituted in managed care plans over the last several years in transitioning from a policy that was perhaps too restrictive - requiring a visit with a primary care physician before being able to see a specialist - to one that in some cases allows nearly unlimited access. In the transition, one of the most important services provided by your family doctor has fallen by the wayside, namely that of a guide and translator as you navigate the health care system.

I also believe that while self-referral remains an option for many, determining if a referral is needed and if so, choosing the best specialist remains a skill that primary care physicians can provide to their patients. In the best of circumstances, your family doctor knows you and your health history and can make sure you receive the best care possible. In addition to usually being more accessible, on many occasions, I will contact the specialist by phone while my patient is in the exam room to make the referral almost immediately. This often shortens the waiting time to be seen in the event that I feel the situation justifies that step.

To the pleasant surprise of many patients, I can often address the need they thought would require the care of a specialist. The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that most family physicians refer between 5% and 15% of their patients.

If you are feeling particularly confused, it is legitimate to call your family doctor and make an appointment solely for the purpose of gaining understanding of your health condition. There are diagnosis codes that we must submit in the course of completing a bill for services rendered. One code is entitled "counseling and coordination of care." This means you can see your doctor for the sole purpose of reviewing all your medical records, including test results, communications from your specialists, and the planning of care for the future. If you are hospitalized, you can request a family conference and ask that your family doctor be present even if he or she is not actively involved in the provision of care.

For good reasons, we all embrace the dramatic and beneficial developments being introduced to care for our patients. Paradoxically, this may mean that more than ever, a good relationship with your family doctor is essential to making sure you get care that is most appropriate for you and your loved ones.

"Your Health" provides easy-to-understand information about common health conditions.