Within a health care system, a primary health care provider acts as the first contact and chief point of continuing care for patients. According to the World Health Organization, essential primary care is a major component of all health care strategies. Having a primary care doctor you can trust is critical to maximizing your overall health and wellness. Most patients prefer consulting the same practitioner, either for routine check-ups and preventive care or health education.
Primary care may be provided in community health centers like Delray Medical & Dental in Delray Beach, Florida, where Dr. Juan Borja and his experienced medical team offer primary care services to patients to detect and treat health issues early to avoid serious complications. These services include wellness exams, sick visits, and chronic disease management.
About Primary Care
Primary care is the general medical care you receive from the experts in medical centers. A primary care practitioner needs to possess a broad spectrum of medical knowledge. This is because primary care provision involves the most comprehensive healthcare scope and includes a diverse range of patients.
What to Expect During an Appointment
During a primary care appointment, your provider completes a comprehensive physical examination by checking your weight, blood pressure, and listening to your heart and lungs. In case of a wellness exam, your extremities are evaluated including genitals – in women a pelvic exam and a Pap smear is used to screen for cervical cancer. Afterward, they review your medical history and ask questions about the symptoms you’re experiencing or general concerns you might be having about your health. They might complete other health screenings including prostate, breast, or colon cancer screenings, sexually transmitted disease (STD) screenings if you’re at risk, and screenings for hormone imbalance, nutrient deficiencies, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
Determining the Required Treatment
Upon detecting an illness or disease, the necessary treatment is required to restore your health or prevent serious complications. Your primary care provider may recommend one or more of the following:
Lifestyle Changes
Weight management or exercise are lifestyle changes that can manage or reduce your risk of chronic disease. Your care provider may recommend nutrition counseling to help you maintain a healthy diet to achieve your health and weight management goals.
Medications
Medicines help treat acute illnesses and infections and help manage chronic diseases including arthritis, depression, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and many other diseases.
Additional Diagnostic Testing
Sometimes detecting signs or symptoms of a disease may require additional diagnostic testing, such as imaging tests like a biopsy, X-rays, or minimally invasive procedures. To prevent communicable diseases, vaccinations are provided. If you have a complex medical condition, you are referred to a qualified specialist in the area. Therefore, collaboration among providers is another essential part of primary care.
Primary care providers have your best interests in mind and they help personalize your treatment plan. To improve your health and wellness by preventing or better managing a disease, schedule your next primary care appointment at Delray Medical & Dental today.