Different healthcare providers within the healthcare system offer their services for various health conditions and ailments. Moreover, distinct departments under the hospital roof deliver numerous services and types of care. A healthcare system is complex to understand. However, everyone needs to know this system to get the appropriate medical care according to their needs. People should know the best primary, urgent, or emergency care services in their state. They can use technology to efficiently find it by searching on the internet like the best primary care services in royal oak, U.S.A., or can change the state/country.
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In this article, we’ll tell you about different types of medical facilities and comparison between Primary care VS. Urgent care for your better understanding.
Let’s get started
What are Primary Care Physicians?
A primary care physician is a healthcare professional who practices general medicine. A PCP is usually the first to reach out in case of minor ailments and non-emergency situations. Different types of care providers can be known as primary care providers, including nurse practitioners, pediatricians, family physicians, gynecologists, etc.
These care providers work among a team known as a “primary care team” the mission of this team is not just to encounter your medical concerns whenever you are sick but to keep you healthy. Staying healthy is not just going to the hospital when you’re sick, it is more than that. A primary care physician makes an effort to provide the appropriate medical care in contract with the patient’s needs. Moreover, these healthcare providers plan a proactive health plan to keep you healthy.
A primary care provider offers you a first-stop solution to your health concerns and plays a vital role in preventing you from common diseases, and promoting better health.
Common Primary Care Specialties
As mentioned earlier, a primary care doctor can be among different specialties and subspecialties. Some of the common primary care specialties are discussed below.
Family practitioners
After completing medical studies, a family practice residency, and becoming board eligible they are now permitted to practice family medicine. Family care physicians provide healthcare to people of all ages. Usually, people prefer to have one doctor to look after the whole family like the spouses, children, and parents. For this, a family physician is an ideal choice.
Pediatricians
After practicing pediatric residency and becoming board-certified, they are legally allowed to practice pediatrics. A pediatrician is a medical professional who provides care to children, from newborns to adolescents.
Internist
After completing a residency in internal medicine and becoming board eligible, they are certified to continue practicing internal medicine and are known as internists. An internal medicine doctor provides care to adults with a range of different diseases, chronic as well as multiple.
Gynecologist
After practicing a residency in gynecology and becoming board-eligible as a gynecologist, these doctors are allowed to practice care for women of all ages.
When to see a PCP?
It is not always necessary to see a primary care physician only when you’re sick. You may visit a primary care physician;
- if you are uncertain about your health plan
- if you want to take steps toward a healthy living
- if you want to get your vaccinations
- if you need to go through routine check-ups
- if you get weather influence
- if you catch a viral infection
- if you are experiencing mild body aches
- If you get a minor cut or burn
- A primary care physician act as your manager of health.
What is Emergency Care?
Emergency care in healthcare means delivering medical care immediately after the outbreak of an injury. It often includes life-saving measures such as the administration of intravenous drugs or CPR. in some situations emergency care is the only option to rely on. After an accident or injury emergency care aids patients to recover from that injury because these rooms are well-equipped and here medical professionals are well-trained.
However, emergency care entails different meanings in different medical settings. Generally, a patient experiencing an emergency medical situation needs to go to the emergency room. Anything involved during the treatment from basic life support to invasive medical procedures or surgery can perform in an emergency care unit. Emergency treatments are provided by a whole team of paramedics, nurses, and doctors together.
The emergency department in any hospital is always ready for any kind of medical emergency. This department is operational 24/7 throughout the year. Emergency rooms are well-equipped with special medical tools. A team of highly qualified, sometimes board-certified emergency medicine professionals working in an emergency room to encounter every possible childhood or adult medical emergency.
When to go to an Emergency Care Unit?
- Rush to ER when you experience any of the following situations;
- Difficulty in breathing
- Chest pain
- Sudden weakness in the muscles of the face (facial drooping)
- Wounds with profound bleeding
- Any type of bleeding (arterial, venous, capillary)
- Head injury
- Seizures
- Abdominal pain
- Severe cuts and burns
- Primary care VS. Emergency care
During minor illnesses and injuries, seeking medical help from a primary care physician is ideally satisfactory. In contrast, the alarming sign or symptom of a life-threatening disease or severe injury demands medical aid from the professionals in the emergency room. Undoubtedly, emergencies or accidents are unforeseen and unavoidable. However, regularly visiting your primary care provider may reduce the chance of your visit to an ER for the deadliest diseases. To avoid emergency room visits, keep in touch with your primary care physician and repeat your annual tests and screenings, followed by regular check-ups.
The U.S. Emergency Room Statistics
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, one out of five Americans visited the Emergency room in 2011.
Roughly about 35% of visits between 2000 and 2010 involved x-rays because the common reason for ER visits was injuries. Advanced imaging was high, going up from 5% to 17% ER visits.
Other statistics during the years 2009-2010 include:
The most common type of visit is for cold symptoms in children.
- Around 27% of children fall sick due to a cold.
- Patients shifted from ER to hospital room were 16%
- 81% of patients were discharged and advised for a follow-up.
- 59% of visits are complete with at least one medicine prescribed.
- 25% of patients left without getting ER care.
- Fewer than 1% ended their life in the ER room.
Apart from injuries, abdominal pain is declared the second most common cause of ER visits., according to CDC’s 2014 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
Other than that, chest pain, coughing, fever, headaches, back symptoms, and difficulty breathing were the top reasons for visiting ER in the U.S.
Summary :
In case of severe injury or life-threatening ailment or disease, visiting your family doctor is not a good option. Your primary care physician may know your medical history well, and you are more comfortable getting treatment from your primary care provider. However, primary care physicians are not capable of controlling such crises, due to a lack of training and resources. Instead, visiting an ER room in case of any medical emergency is advisable.
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