The role of primary health care is, well, primary. Barbara Starfield, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has written extensively on the subject. In an article in the Boston Review, she concluded that %26quot;a good relationship with a freely chosen primary care doctor Â… is associated with better care, more appropriate care, better health and much lower health costs.%26quot; This makes sense. Someone who knows you well — who is aware not only of your medical history but who also knows the psychosocial context that surrounds and describes you — is more likely to provide you with appropriately defined care that is responsive to your needs. This guided and coordinated health care is less likely to result in unnecessary (often duplicated) investigations and treatments. Clearly, using the emergency department, walk-in clinics and other specialists as primary resources for ongoing health care leads to the fragmentation of care and can potentially result in things falling through the cracks.So, how to find a family physician? Speak to friends who are happy with their doctor. If their physician is accepting new patients, get on board. If not, perhaps a recently minted doctor in the same practice is. This is great because generally the older physicians serve as resources for the younger ones. Besides, while new graduates have much to learn from their more seasoned colleagues, they have much to teach as well. Alternately, call your local hospital and talk to one of the nurses. They are often wonderful at directing patients to physicians whom they have noted to be good at what they do. Go to the Ontario Medical Association website and look for the names of family doctors in your area who are accepting new patients.Once you have a name, call and book a meet and greet appointment. I believe your first appointment with any family physician should be designed for each of you to get to know one another and see if there is a good fit. After all, in many respects, this is one of the most important, long-term relationships you will ever establish. - Dr. Yoel Abells appears Tuesdays on Global Morning News and Wednesdays on the Body %26amp; Health page. You can submit your health questions to him atwww.globaltv.com/familyhealth.
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