TIPS FOR CHOOSING A PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR

Get a Flu Shot

One reason for seeing a primary care doctor is to make sure your vaccinations are up to date based on your age, risk factors and overall health status.

For example, if you haven’t yet gotten an annual flu shot, it’s not too late. Houston Methodist Primary Care Group makes getting a flu shot quick and easy. Visit houstonmethodist.org/pcg/southeast for information or call 713.441.7265 to schedule an appointment at a location near you.

One of the easiest — and most important — steps you can take for optimal health is to choose a primary care physician (PCP). The prospect of finding a new doctor with whom you can build a trusting relationship may seem overwhelming, but the following tips can help you find the right doctor for you.

WHERE TO BEGIN YOUR SEARCH

There are several ways to find and learn more about the local doctors who practice near where you live or work. “The most likely choices for a primary care physician are an internist, a family physician, an obstetrician-gynecologist or a pediatrician,” said Dr. Donald D. Brown Jr., an internist with Houston Methodist Primary Care Group in League City. Most hospital and insurance websites provide a search feature to help you find specific types of providers near you, including primary care physicians. In addition, doctors who are members of the American Medical Association (AMA) are listed at doctorfinder.ama-assn.org. “Personal recommendations from family members, friends and co-workers are often helpful,” said Dr. Tracey Lindeman, another Bay Area internist with Houston Methodist Primary Care Group in Nassau Bay. “Ask people you know and trust about their doctors.”

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

“In addition to the doctor’s credentials and specialties, the logistics of your selected doctor’s office are important to making and keeping appointments,” said Brown. “Flexible office hours and convenient locations help make getting care easier.” Here are some questions to consider:

1. Is the doctor board certified?

2. Does the doctor have any subspecialties?

3. Is the location convenient for you and your family?

4. How much time is allowed in the doctor’s schedule for each appointment? A new patient’s first visit should be at least half an hour and 10 minutes for other visits.

5. What are the practice’s office hours? You’ll want to be sure those hours work with your schedule.

6. Does the practice accept your health insurance?

7. How far in advance do you have to book a routine office visit?

8. How long do you have to wait in the waiting room when you have an appointment?

9. If you’re sick, can you be seen the same day?

10. Does the doctor take time to answer your questions?

11. If you need to talk to the doctor, does he or she return your phone call in a timely manner?

12. If you have to be admitted to the hospital, what hospital does the doctor have privileges at?

HEALTH TOPICS TO DISCUSS DURING YOUR FIRST VISIT

After narrowing your list to one or two physicians, make an appointment to talk to those doctors about your health questions and concerns.

“Regular checkups and communicating openly with your doctor are just as important as eating right, exercising and watching your weight,” said Lindeman. Here are some topics she recommends discussing with your new primary care physician:

1. Recommended preventive exams and health screenings for you.

2. Help with evaluating and setting realistic goals for lifestyle changes that can make a difference in your overall health.

START ONE OF THE HEALTHIEST RELATIONSHIPS OF YOUR LIFE

Don’t forget that part of your mission is to find a doctor you trust and feel comfortable with for the long term. Talking with your doctor about any health concerns you have can be a powerful tool when it comes to catching health problems early and preventing disease over your lifetime. The initial research will take time and effort. But when you consider what’s at stake — your health — the payoff is clear.

LOCATIONS IN SOUTHEAST HOUSTON

CLEAR LAKE

14903 El Camino Real, Houston, TX 77062

713.363.7640

FRIENDSWOOD

107 Woodlawn Dr., Suite 101, Friendswood, TX 77546

832.783.1079

LEAGUE CITY

2220 E. League City Pkwy., Suite 200, League City, TX 77573

281.523.3130

NASSAU BAY

2060 Space Park Dr., Suite 302, Houston, TX 77058

281.333.9747