Primary Care is the specialty under which our doctors are focused on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of several illnesses considering the patient’s background, health, chronic diseases, etc. A primary care doctor practices general healthcare and has the answers for many of the patient’s concerns, so you do not only program a primary care visit when you are sick, but also when you are healthy and want to stay that way. It is a safe way of getting the right answers for your questions and getting advice from someone you can trust.

When should I schedule a Primary Care Visit?

• 1. You should be thinking about making a visit to a primary care doctor if you have any general symptoms such as allergies, dizziness, insomnia, fever, headaches, cough, acid reflux or a burning sensation in your stomach, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or any similar symptom.
• 2. If you have questions regarding your health, a symptom or a specific illness and you seek an answer from someone you can trust. Remember primary care doctors do not only treat illnesses, but they can also see you when you are healthy to prevent possible diseases. As we already mentioned, it is not always about treating an illness, it is about staying healthy.
• 3. If you have not been to the doctor in a while. Ideally, someone over 50 years of age should see the doctor for an annual checkup, and only if you are under 50 and in good health, you should schedule an appointment around every two or three years just to confirm everything is okay.
• 4. If you have a chronic disease such as diabetes or high blood pressure. It is very important to have these types of illnesses under control to prevent them from advancing.
• 5. If you start to see any changes in your health like drastic modifications in your memory or in your state of mind, or if you suspect any progressive diseases such as osteoporosis, heart failure, anemia, diabetes, high or low blood pressure, urinary infections, etc.

Keep in mind that primary care doctors do not only provide treatment, but they also focus on prevention. Therefore, primary care visits are covered under most insurance packages with very little or no co-pay. There is no excuse to not take care of your health.

Recommendations on your first Primary Care Visit

• Provide all the information you think is useful to your doctor, every piece of information can help them identify an illness just in time or to provide a more accurate treatment for you.
• Take all your documents with you. With these, we are referring to your medical records, immunization records, prescriptions, and any other medical document you have. These registers help the doctor build your medical history.
• Make a list of all of the questions and concerns you have prior to your visit. You can also make a list of the symptoms to avoid forgetting them when you are in front of the doctor.
• Find out if there is a way to communicate with your doctor in between consultations. Some doctors or Medical Centers have the option of an online portal or a call center in which you can ask a couple of questions without having to wait until your next visit.
• Attend your follow-up visits if required. If the doctor schedules a follow-up visit, there must be a reason for it. Do not skip your consultations even if you are feeling better; the best way to regain your health is to follow your doctor’s recommendations.

At FORMÉ Medical Center, we have an amazing team available for you and we offer Primary Care among other services. If you want to learn more about your visit with a Primary Care Physician, you can schedule an appointment by giving us a call at 914 723 4900. Keep in mind that we can schedule an in-office appointment for you or a telephonic appointment through our Telemedicine Service.