In many countries outside of the US, primary care physicians comprise the core of the healthcare system. As American primary care physicians begin to recognize this, a revelation that primary care is valuable to the overall system of health and wellness has been an eye-opening realization.
If you look at data presented in studies on the matter, you will find that where there are more primary care physicians who coordinate care, there are better health and wellness outcomes within that population. The data provides evidence that a higher ratio of specialists to the population in a given area does not decrease the overall mortality rate or the number of deaths from cancer and heart disease, while having more primary care physicians in a given area is associated with a lower mortality rate from all causes, including heart disease and cancer. Further, it shows that US states with a higher percentage of primary care physicians have higher quality care and lower patient costs. (This single factor accounted for close to half of the variation in Medicare spending between states.) And a significant conclusion noted is that primary care is the only medical service that ever has improved the health of the population overall, since primary care physicians provide comprehensive, continuous routine and preventative care for patients, as well as chronic illness care.
Primary care physicians seek to understand the whole patient; they assess patients based on both physical symptoms and mental state. They build relationships with their patients, using their in-depth knowledge of each patient’s health factors to provide the best possible health and wellness care, tailored to each person’s needs.
Not all primary care physicians provide holistic care, but more and more are starting to. They are recognizing more and more that their focus should be not only on treating people when they’re sick but on keeping them healthy as well, so they can avoid becoming so ill that they can’t prevent the need for more costly specialized care in the future.
Modern MD, PLLC is the health and wellness family practice of Dr. Patricia Lopez-Po, MD, serving communities in El Paso, Texas and in New Mexico. At her family medical center located on the west side of El Paso, and via home visits, Dr. Lopez-Po delivers takes a holistic approach towards treatment, to focus on the whole patient in every case, providing continued primary care with specialty services as needed. She aims for clear communication with each patient and his or her family to best provide the comprehensive care every patient needs. If you are seeking whole-patient health and wellness care and want to establish a solid relationship of trust with your primary care physician, one of the best doctors in El Paso to call is Dr. Lopez-Po at Modern MD. Contact her online, or call 915-288-3008 to schedule an appointment today.
SOURCES
- “The Effects of Specialist Supply on Populations”
- “Physician Workforce Trends And Their Implications For Spending Growth”
https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20170728.061252/full/
- “Medicare Spending, The Physician Workforce, And Beneficiaries’ Quality of Care”
- “Universal Primary Care—Health Care. Reform. Shovel Ready Now.”
- “Pondering the Primary Care Predicament”
