By far the greatest benefit of the new system for the consumer will be the emergence of the primary care physician as the overseer of health. Having one, trusted individual to turn to for every health care need, the current confusion many patients now face when deciding “what” type of doctor to see for a particular condition will be minimized. For instance, should a person suffering from conjunctivitis see an ophthalmologist or a general practitioner? Should a woman experiencing a urinary tract infection call her gynecologist or internist? In our new era of health care, your primary care physician will lead you through the medical maze and pinpoint the most appropriate treatment.
Another advantage for the consumer is having all family and individual medical histories centrally located with the primary care physician. In the past, how often have you or another family member seen specialist after specialist, only to go home with a prescription for a medication that interacted with a drug you were already taking or with an order for yet another blood test or chest X ray? How often has one specialist changed the dosage of a medication prescribed by another, only to have you fill the prescription—again! Under the new system, the primary care physician will coordinate and monitor second and third referrals, thereby eliminating conflicting medications and duplicate medical tests. Your doctor will also keep a “master” medical chart and history for immediate and easy reference.
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