Physicians Near Me

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FAQs:

What is a Physician?

A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining, or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments. Physicians may focus their practice on certain disease categories, types of patients, and methods of treatment—known as specialties—or they may assume responsibility for the provision of continuing and comprehensive medical care to individuals, families, and communities—known as a general practice. 

Medical practice properly requires both a detailed knowledge of the academic disciplines, such as anatomy and physiology, underlying diseases and their treatment—the science of medicine—and also a decent competence in its applied practice—the art or craft of medicine.

Both the role of the physician and the meaning of the word itself vary around the world. Degrees and other qualifications vary widely, but there are some common elements, such as medical ethics requiring that physicians show consideration, compassion, and benevolence for their patients.

What Does a Physician Do?

Physicians diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses. Other responsibilities include: 

- Giving advice on diet, hygiene, and preventative care

- Examining patients

- Prescribing medications

- Ordering, giving and interpreting diagnostic tests 

- Taking and keeping medical histories

Is a Physician the Same as a Medical Doctor?

Most people can’t tell the difference between a doctor and a physician, and they can be forgiven for it as the difference is not all that clear-cut. According to various medical resources, physicians are charged with the responsibility of diagnosing conditions, following careful verbal and physical assessments and imparting knowledge on how patients should maintain their health. Physicians also prescribe medications and determine the urgency of follow-up appointments and checkups. From the superficial description, you can tell that this is exactly the person you see whenever you have a problem. Well, yes, that’s a physician. Physicians can prescribe medications depending on observed symptoms and your interaction during the consultation. They can also use the results of your assessment to see if there is a need to refer you to a specialist.

So what’s the difference between a doctor and a physician? The difference is negligible. The terms doctor and physician can be freely interchanged in day-to-day applications. It is mostly from a formal point of view that the differences pop up. A doctor in the field of medicine is someone who has graduated from medical school and is a holder of an MD such like Dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, clinical psychologists, and podiatrists are also referred to as doctors. Physicians are doctors with an MD, DO, or MB regardless of specialty. In some instances, the definition of surgeons and physicians may be independent to insist that physicians are medical specialists and surgeons surgical specialists. Methods of treatment may also be used to tell between physicians and doctors. Physicians use medications to treat illnesses while doctors can perform more complicated procedures such as surgeries.

Where Do Physicians Work?

Physicians can work in a wide range of areas which is usually determined by their specialty. They commonly work in hospitals, private practice offices, universities, the government, along with a variety of other settings. The diversity within the physician profession makes it difficult to pinpoint the most popular workplaces but according to data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics the most popular workplace is Physician Offices followed by Hospitals.

What is the Most Common Physician?

Family physicians, one of the most well known of all the different types of doctors, diagnose and treat diseases and injuries within the general population. As the US Department of Labor (DOL) explains, they are the first point of contact for patients in the health care system and may refer patients to specialists when needed.

How Often Should You Go See a Physician for a Check-Up?

The recommendations regarding the frequency of routine checkups are based on your age, risk factors, and current health status. While opinions vary, routine checkups with your doctor are generally recommended as follows:

- once every 3 years if you’re under the age of 50 and in good health

- once a year once you turn 50

- If you have a chronic disease, like diabetes or COPD for instance, you should see your doctor more frequently, no matter how old you are.

Your doctor may suggest more or less time between your checkups based on your risk factors, screening test results, and current health status.

What is Preventive Care?

Preventive care helps detect or prevent serious diseases and other medical issues before they become worse. Preventive care procedures and visits include things you may already be familiar with, including annual physicals, flu shots, and immunizations. Preventive care is different from diagnostic care, which is when your doctor is looking to diagnose an illness or condition based on symptoms you may be having. Preventive health care consists of seeing your doctor for regular checkups and undergoing various recommended tests in order to keep certain medical conditions or illnesses from developing or worsening.

What Procedures are Considered Preventive Care?

Some common examples of preventive care include:

1. Yearly physicals or check-ups – This is when your primary care physician checks over your general health. These visits are important as they can help detect any health concerns early and are a great opportunity to bring up anything you may be worried about with your doctor. You can expect your health insurance to cover these visits once a year.

2. Flu shots – Every year, based on surveillance data of which strains of the flu are expected to circulate, a determination is made on which strains of the flu to vaccinate against. Insurance plans are typically expected to cover 100% of the cost to get this vaccine.

3. Mammograms – After 40, or younger if you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, yearly X-rays of breast tissue are taken to detect early signs of cancer or other abnormalities.

4. Colonoscopy – After 50, or younger if you are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer, a screening is done for colon cancer. You can expect to receive these once every 10 years.

5. Vaccinations – Vaccinations (e.g., measles, mumps, rubella, polio), are administered during childhood with boosters as needed.

6. Well woman visits – After age 20, it’s common for women to receive biannual pap smears and other STD checks.

These are just some examples of preventive care visits and procedures. Your primary care provider can help you decide and coordinate what tests and shots are right for you. The preventive care services you should get will vary based on factors such as: age, gender, health status, and family history.

What to Expect from your Physician?

This consideration of what people expect from physicians asserts that people want a physician who listens, sorts out problems, and is available to them consistently, not one who merely applies medical science. This points to the centrality of the consultative aspect of the physician-patient relationship. In some health care systems, the general practitioner (GP) is the gatekeeper for more specialized (and more costly) care. According to the World Health Organization, the purposes of medical services are to achieve equity; to reduce the possibility of premature death, disability, and disease; and to encourage self-actualization. GPs can ensure equity by judging urgency and negotiating honestly with patients about the need for medical intervention. Once patients have been referred to a specialist, GPs can become patient advocates. Trusted GPs (as opposed to a team of doctors) can also help patients make strategic life decisions. In addition, GPs have an important role to play in defining the boundaries of health and illness. Thus, GPs influence whether people seek medical care appropriately, tolerate debilitating conditions, or engage in behavior that can be characterized as "health neurosis." Efforts to ensure that physicians deliver quality care have included encouraging competition for consumer/patients, issuing performance contracts, and encouraging litigation. The best way to ensure quality, however, is through the self-regulation offered by peer reviews of total patient management.

How Much Will it Cost for Me to See a Doctor?

This depends — are you sick or are you wanting to schedule an annual checkup, also known as a physical? Most insurance plans cover your annual physical or other forms of preventative care at 100 percent, so if you’re not set up with a primary care physician (PCP), do so now.  If you are sick, you can expect to pay something, and that amount will vary based on deductible. 

[Deductible] 

The amount of money you pay each year before your insurance starts paying their share (co-insurance). You may have no deductible, a low deductible, or a high deductible, based on the plan you chose. Those with high deductibles typically enjoy lower monthly costs; however, these individuals will pay more out of pocket each time they visit a doctor.

[Co-Insurance] 

Even after you’ve met your deductible, you will still be paying your share for medical care. This is often called co-insurance. If your coinsurance is 20 percent, it means your insurance provider will pay the other 80 percent.

Importance of Physicians in Society

Doctors save lives, but their importance goes far beyond that. Doctors also make a difference by helping patients minimize pain, recover from a disease faster or learn to live with a disabling injury. A patient's ability to enjoy life, even if they can't be cured, makes a huge difference to them and to their families. If they can go back to work after an illness, that benefits their employer, too. And, that's only part of what makes doctors important to society.

Preventive Medicine

Nobody wants to become sick, disabled or helpless. Preventing sickness or injury is a better choice: It's less expensive, better for our health and we lose less income if we don't get sick too often. Preventive treatment is also important for society as a whole.

Stopping Pandemics

There's disease, and then there's plague. Black death and smallpox have wiped out millions of people throughout history; polio paralyzed thousands in the 20th century. By working to contain potential epidemics, doctors prevent disasters. Individual doctors don't fly solo in these crises. Fighting plagues takes money and organizations that work on a national and international scale. But doctors and other medical professionals are vitally important in the fight.

Economic Impact

A medical practice is a small business. Most doctors employ staff and rent or buy office space, pay contractors for repairs and generally improve the community's economic health as they improve their patients' health.

Educating People

In the internet age, there's no shortage of medical malarkey flying around online. Whatever you're suffering from, someone knows a miracle cure. Whatever you're scared of, some website will shriek that it is much, much worse than you think. Doctors have the standing and the knowledge to push back against fake medical news. It's not just about teaching patients the real steps to staying healthy. Sometimes it's explaining that there is no cure and so no point to spending money trying to conjure one up.

Shaping Health Policy

Doctors are only one voice among many that shape public policy. But they have a unique position of respect and trust, which they can use to push governments toward healthcare policies that will genuinely benefit the public.

Six Core Skills of Physicians

1. Patient care. Physicians have to provide compassionate, appropriate, and effective care to promote health and treat health problems in their patients. 

2. Medical knowledge. Physicians must be experts in established and new biomedical, clinical, and cognate sciences and how to apply this knowledge to patient care.

3. Practice-based learning and improvement. Physicians must always investigate and evaluate their own care and look for ways to improve.

4. Interpersonal and communication skills. Physicians must be able to communicate effectively with patients, their families, and other health professionals.

5. Professionalism. A commitment to professionalism includes carrying out professional responsibilities, sticking to ethical principles, and being sensitive to a diverse patient population.

6. Systems-based practice. Physicians must be aware of and responsive to the larger context and system of health care. They must also be able to find and use resources to provide the best care possible.

Physician Duties and Responsibilities

- Perform routine examinations of patients

- Understand patients' health conditions based on symptoms and tests

- Suggest treatments based on findings

- Give appropriate health advice

- Set diagnosis based on medical expertise and knowledge 

- Access the patient's medical history

- Examine, analyze, and interpret lab tests results

- Prescribe different medical treatments, medications, and drugs 

- Collaborate with other physicians and team members

- Keep records of patients’ progress and history

- Adhere to laws, rules, and regulations

- Refer patients to specialists if necessary

- Develop safe and trusting relationships with patients

- Stay up to date with the latest research, technologies, and best practices

Types of Physicians and What They Do

There are around one million physicians practicing in the United States. While some physicians specialize in diagnosing and treating the whole body, other types of doctors focus on a particular part or system, such as the skin or the eyes.

Family Physician

Family practice physicians are primary care providers who see patients of all ages and provide basic care for a variety of common ailments. They are usually the first to recognize major health problems, order diagnostic tests, and refer patients to specialists when needed.

Internal Medicine Physician

General internists provide primary care to adult patients. Internists usually have more hospital-based training than family practitioners. They may have an office-based practice or work as a hospitalist primarily seeing patients in the hospital. These physicians attend medical school followed by an internal medicine residency. Internists may then choose to pursue a fellowship to subspecialize in a variety of other areas, like endocrinology (hormone-related conditions) or a cardiology (heart-related issues).

Pediatrician

Pediatricians take care of patients from infancy through age 18 or, in some cases, age 21. Pediatricians provide primary health care to children, including vaccinations, general health checkups, school physicals, and treatment of issues like coughs, colds, and stomach flu. If a patient has a more serious illness, their pediatrician may refer them to a pediatric subspecialist (e.g., a pediatric orthopedist is a doctor who specializes in treating young patients with bone and muscle concerns).

Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OB/GYN)

A gynecologist is a doctor who specializes in female reproductive health, including menopause and hormone problems. An obstetrician provides care for people who are pregnant. Obstetricians also are trained to deliver babies. Often, these specialties are combined, in which case the physician is referred to as an OB/GYN.

Cardiologist

Cardiologists focus on the treatment of the heart and its blood vessels. This can include the management of heart failure, cardiovascular disease, and post-operative care.

Oncologist

Oncology is a subspecialty of internal medicine that has three main areas: medical, surgical, or radiation oncology. Oncologists take care of patients who have cancer by treating the disease itself, as well as the symptoms it causes. Often, oncologists take part in clinical trials using new and experimental treatments for cancers that are otherwise incurable.

Gastroenterologist

Gastroenterologists treat the functions and diseases of the digestive system. This field attracts physicians who enjoy doing procedures, but who also like seeing patients in an outpatient setting.

Pulmonologist

Pulmonologists treat the cardio-pulmonary system, which consists of the heart, lungs, and organs involved in the respiratory process. In addition, pulmonologists may work in office settings to treat patients with breathing disorders, severe allergies, lung problems, and other respiratory diseases. They may also treat patients with pulmonary disease who are in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Infectious Disease Physician

Infectious disease physicians deal with infections that are hard to diagnose or treat. They also treat serious infections such as the swine flu, bird flu, HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases.

Nephrologist

Nephrologists treat kidney disease and prescribe dialysis for those experiencing kidney failure.

Endocrinologist

Endocrinologists treat the endocrine system—the glands that produce and secrete hormones that control and regulate nearly all of the body's functions. People with diabetes or thyroid disease are often treated by an endocrinologist.

Ophthalmologist

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who treat diseases or disorders of the eyes, such as cataracts and glaucoma. Vision correction that cannot be handled by an optometrist may be treated by an ophthalmologist. When necessary, ophthalmologists will also perform eye surgery.

Otolaryngologist

Otolaryngologists are more commonly referred to as ENTs, or ear/nose/throat doctors. ENTs handle a lot of issues, including sinus problems, allergies, head and neck cancers, and more. Because of this, many ENTs attend fellowships for a subspecialty of otolaryngology, such as rhinology, which focuses on issues related to the nose and sinuses.

Dermatologist

Dermatologists diagnose and treat conditions that affect the hair, skin, and nails. This may include treating rashes or acne, diagnosing melanoma (skin cancer), and much more. In addition to this, dermatoligists also perform many aesthetic procedures that are paid for out of pocket rather than by insurance. Such procedures include Botox injections, laser skin treatments, and more.

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist specializes in mental health. They treat emotional and behavioral problems through a combination of psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, medication, and hospitalization. Their work may be office-based, hospital-based, or a combination of the two.

Neurologist

Neurologists are doctors who take care of patients with medical conditions that affect the brain, spine, or nerves. They see patients who have complex medical disorders such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and neuropathy. Neurologists also take care of patients who have common problems such as migraine headaches and dizziness.

Radiologist

A radiologist is a physician who is trained in viewing and interpreting diagnostic tests. Often, the treating physician must interpret test results as well. The radiologist's analysis can offer additional information or advice for further testing.

Anesthesiologist

Anesthesiologists are trained to manage patient pain and vital signs during surgery. They also often manage medical emergencies in the hospital, such as cardiac arrest and sudden breathing problems.

Benefits of Having Regular Checkups with a Physician

Regular checkups with your healthcare provider can benefit your health in many ways. Some of the key benefits include:

- finding potentially life threatening health issues early before they cause a problem

- early treatment of health conditions, which increases the odds of a good outcome

- regular monitoring of existing health issues, which lowers the risk of worsening symptoms or severe complications

- staying up-to-date on vaccinations and screening tests

- limiting extra healthcare costs associated with treating complicated or serious conditions that aren’t caught early

- developing and maintaining an open, honest relationship with your primary care physician (PCP)

- learning new ways to live a healthy, longer life and improving your health

Ten Things Patients Want from their Healthcare Providers

Transparency

It is acceptable if a physician does not know everything about their illness or diagnosis, but patients expect their doctors to share as much as possible. Uncertainty is okay, as long as patients are aware of the truth. Also, patients understand that doctors are humans, too, and that medical errors do occur. While patients usually never demand retribution, they do want a confession of the error and an assurance that the doctor is trying to fix the error. You must always educate your patients on the success rate and the risks involved with related procedures.

A Doctor who is On Time

Patients understand that physicians have emergencies but also know that physicians do not have emergencies every day. Repeated long waits tell patients that physicians are uncaring and disorganized. The solutions to the problem are to schedule same-day illness appointments at the end of the morning after you are done with scheduled patients.

Speak their Language

Physicians need to describe things in a way patients can understand, and they need to keep doing so until they're certain the patient comprehends the information. This means explaining with clarity and empathy – not in medical jargon.

Ask them Questions

Patients want their doctor to be engaged in the appointment—to demonstrate an interest in gathering all the facts and truly understanding the issue at hand. Physicians do this by asking the patient for clarification on what they've shared, and digging deeper to uncover additional information.

Timely Responses

Physicians need to return phone calls every day and notify patients of test results as soon as they come in. Worried patients should not have to worry needlessly. When physicians communicate quickly physicians tell them that they care.

Empathy

You can easily relate to your patient by asking about the daily schedule or eating habits. This kind of interaction creates a sense of connection, which will show your patient that you care. Always try to know and develop great relationships with your patients. If the patient is comfortable, feel free to ask about personal histories, daily routine, and lifestyle preferences. The medications that you prescribe may have side effects, and you must educate the patients about the potential risks and benefits. Also, patients are more likely to follow your instructions and return to your practice if they feel connected to you.

Give Options

Physicians can further act as partners by educating patients about their treatment options, including ones that don't necessarily involve medications. Patients want to be armed with options, and they expect to have each option thoroughly explained before making a decision.

Respect

If your patient is feeling cold, arrange for a blanket. If thirsty, get some water. Without addressing these underlying human needs, impressive offices and state-of-the-art equipment are useless. So forget the fancy ceiling and lighting and hire medical staff who will treat your patients with compassion and dignity. Also, patients will wait if they get what they want. Patients are not unhappy because they had to wait 30 minutes but because they did not get what they expected during their appointment with you. Do not make your patients wait for 45 minutes and then spend five minutes with them during the appointment. Such acts will make your patients feel ignored and disrespected.

Clear Instructions

During an appointment, don't make the mistake of rushing through instructions at an unintelligible pace. Be accurate and clear, and try to type out instructions that the patients can pick up when they leave. Always take the time to explain and simplify technical and medical terminology.

Trust and Being a Partner

If a doctor is an active listener, patients will feel comfortable sharing every piece of information, including sensitive topics, assumptions, related myths, and much more. To develop the best patient-doctor relationship, your patients must find you trustworthy enough to talk about other factors that affect their health. If they do not, you might not have made enough effort to earn their trust.

How Should Doctors Communicate with Patients

Doctors should spend more time listening effectively during the appointment. On average, doctors interrupt patients within 12 seconds of them first speaking during primary care visits and throughout the appointment—often, before they have finished explaining an issue. One study shows that inattentive listening can distract the speaker from telling their own stories effectively, suggesting that speakers and listeners have a shared responsibility.

Doctors can help patients communicate their problems better and feel more understood by acknowledging what they’re saying and encouraging them to continue, and even removing physical barriers between the two of them (i.e., not talking from behind a computer).

Doctors should ask their patients, “Is there anything else? Though this can be daunting for doctors because it opens a Pandora’s box of dialogue that may cut into other patients’ appointment times. However, understanding the patient as much as possible from the start can save a lot of time in subsequent visits.

Clear communication from doctors may have a healing effect. Studies on pain perception find that, similar to the placebo effect, thoughtfully walking a patient through a procedure that is being administered, or one that will occur in the future, can make them less anxious and more optimistic, leading to less pain.

Better communication can also lead to less litigation. Whereas patients may feel that doctors are indifferent toward medical errors, in reality those errors haunt doctors for years. Better understanding between parties—and a doctor’s willingness to admit to errors, show concern, and apologize—can help prevent patients from seeking retribution through lawsuits.

Amid the pressure and fast pace of medicine, doctors and other health care providers can still learn to slow down and cultivate better listening and understanding. Doing so gives patients a chance to communicate more effectively, which saves more time and more lives in the long run. Both of these books can help doctors and patients—and, really, anyone in any professional or personal partnership—to work together toward better communication and connection.

How to Find a Good Physician

There are several steps you should follow and considerations to address when looking for a right doctor.

1. Check With Your Insurance Carrier

Assuming you have insurance, it’s often best to start by finding out which doctors are in your network before spending a lot of time learning about a great doctor you may not be able to see because they’re out of network.

2. Think About Your Needs and Preferences

What sort of needs will the doctor address for you and what would you prefer? Some patients may prefer solo or small group private doctors, while others may prefer doctors practicing within organized medical groups including independent groups and those affiliated with a local hospital. Some patients want to be seen by a male provider, others will only work with a woman.

You should also consider what technology a practice uses and when they’re open. Will they be using an electronic medical records system that connects to the local hospital network, or is the practice still on paper charts? Is the doctor reachable by email, or will you have to phone them when you need to get in touch? Are the location and opening hours convenient with your schedule? For example, some offer Saturday appointments to accommodate people with busy work schedules.

In addition, consider what type of care style you'd most prefer. Do you want the doctor to be more conservative in approach by using more holistic practices before adding medications or suggesting surgery? Or do you take comfort in being able to get a pill for what ever is bothering you? There are different styles of care and any doctor you're considering should be able to articulate their approach to medicine.

The key is to know what you’re looking for, what will fit with your lifestyle and what will make you feel most comfortable when working closely with a health care provider.

3. Ask for Recommendations

Another good way to find a great doctor is to ask friends and family for recommendations of who they see and why they like a particular provider. Find out specifically why they did or didn't like a doctor, as that can offer clues as to whether or not this provider will be a good fit for you.

4. Read Reviews

You may also want to check out online review sites to get a sense of what others think about a particular provider. Read online bios about the doctors who rise to the top of these searches and see who seems like a fit for you and your preferences. But, a word of caution: If you read online doctor review sites, take the opinions posted there with a grain of salt. Just because a doctor receives a negative review doesn't necessarily mean they treated the patient inappropriately. It could be that the patient went in seeking a specific outcome, such as a prescription for an antibiotic, but upon review, such treatment wasn't the right course of action in that instance.

5. Check Their Background

You should also consider the educational background and clinical training of any provider you’re considering. The best primary care doctors are well-trained experts, great listeners and genuinely care about their patients and seek to understand all of the circumstances that contribute to their overall health – or barriers that may limit their ability to achieve their optimal health status.

Common Questions that Physician Ask Patients

Collecting basic medical history data up front lets clinicians know if there are chronic conditions that need to be addressed, and collecting payment and insurance information lets your claims and billing personnel work efficiently so the revenue cycle doesn't needlessly slow down. When you have outstanding electronic health record (EHR) software orchestrating the collection and storage of patient information, all these tasks are easier for your staff. Here are five questions every medical practice should ask when a new patient arrives.

1. What Are Your Medical and Surgical Histories?

The patient health record will be more complete and valuable if you know whether they have ever been hospitalized, treated for a chronic condition, had medical tests, or had surgery. Even if an adult patient had surgery or some other treatment as a child, it's important to know about it when creating a treatment plan and delivering healthcare.

2. What Prescription and Non-Prescription Medications Do You Take?

Some people think that over-the-counter medications don't count, or that herbal supplements don't matter. Make it clear to new patients that the physician needs to know not only about any prescription medications they take, but also about over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements. It's ideal if the patient brings prescription bottles to the appointment so the information collected is as accurate as possible.

3. What Allergies Do You Have?

In addition to knowing whether a new patient has seasonal or food allergies, doctors need to know if they have any drug allergies, a latex allergy, or a serious reaction to bee stings, for example. EHRs are terrific for using this information to alert doctors and nurses of potential drug interactions and allergies so allergens can be avoided.

4. What is Your Smoking, Alcohol, and Illicit Drug Use History?

If you make it clear up front that you take patient confidentiality seriously and protect their information at all times, they're more likely to be forthright about whether they use tobacco products, drink alcohol regularly, or use (or have used) illicit substances. Answers to these questions can make a difference when it comes to diagnosing and treating health conditions, and reassuring patients of their privacy helps elicit honesty from the start.

5. Have You Served in the Armed Forces?

It's important to know if a new patient has served in the military, particularly if they participated in one or more combat tours. This can help you learn more about physical trauma, potential exposure to toxins, and possible mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) so that diagnosis and treatment options can be tailored to the patient's needs.

Where to See a Doctor If You Do Not Have Insurance 

If you do not have insurance, there are several places where you can seek care when needed. 

1. Community Health Clinics: There may be clinics near you that provide free or low-cost health services, such as preventative care, vaccinations, or health screenings. You can search for free community health clinics in your area.

2. Urgent Care: You can also see a doctor and get many services done at urgent care facilities. Some urgent care facilities are walk-in, and others, you can make an appointment on their website. In general, most urgent cares charge a visit fee of about $100-$200 to see a provider in addition to other fees for the services you receive.

3. Telehealth: Many doctors and companies now offer telehealth services, which may be a more convenient and less expensive way to seek care. Sometimes after a consultation, your doctor can prescribe medication or give you medical advice. Some conditions, however, may require you to seek care in person after your telehealth call.

4. Doctor's Office: You can also still seek care at a primary care physician or specialist's office. However, be sure to call in advance to ask the office what their policy and pricing or patients who do not have insurance.

5. Emergency Room: If you are experiencing an emergency, you should always call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Regardless of your insurance status, you will be able to get treatment. However, if you have a non-urgent medical condition or need a routine visit, going to urgent care for any of the other options above will likely be much less expensive.

Sources:

Wikipedia

WebMD

Dr. David Zarian

Talentlyft

Health Professions

Very Well Health

SGU

Healthline

EHealth

NIH

Webmedy

LeBauer Healthcare

Greater Good

US News

Talk to Mira

CHRON

Revele

 

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.