Q&A: Do I really need a primary-care doctor?

Q: Is it really necessary to have a primary-care doctor in today’s world?

A: I know that between your family, your friends and your career, it can be hard to find time to take care of yourself. I also know how easy it is to lose touch with your primary-care physician (PCP), especially in today’s world of urgent-care centers and on-demand medicine. But, as I tell my patients at each wellness check, keeping in contact with a trusted physician is more important than ever.

One of the major benefits of staying in touch with your family doctor is the way we file your health information. An up-to-date health history with details from your immediate and extended family has a host of benefits, especially when it comes to hereditary illnesses. The history details your previous diagnoses and treatments, as well as diagnoses within your family. It can be used to make informed decisions about current and future treatments, or track the success of a current regimen.

When it comes to those conditions that require regular screening, being aware of a family health history may encourage us to start screening sooner, or choose a different screening method. For example, if you have a strong family history of diabetes and heart disease, we will likely start screening earlier and focus on the lifestyle changes necessary to prevent these conditions.

Cancer diagnoses should also be carefully monitored. Knowing your risk for these conditions can help us focus on prevention and early detection.

Your family doctor can even monitor for early indicators of certain neurologic, autoimmune or mental-health issues, which in some cases can be hereditary, as well.

A personal and family health history can be used to track some of the most common chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, which often run in families.

With the hints we find in your health history, we can spot those warning signs early on, or before you even develop the condition. In many cases, the sooner a problem is diagnosed, the better the outcome.

I always tell my patients that they need to be active in their health journey. Occasional conversations with family members about their health will help give you a full picture of possible hereditary conditions.

In addition, sharing those updates with your family doctor or trusted physician will provide the best results. I love when patients come in with questions and conversations they would like to explore. I want to know their concerns and their goals so I can help them achieve them.

Susan K. Fidler is an assistant director of the family medicine residency program at Abington-Jefferson Health.