DETERMINING YOUR MEDICAL NEEDS WHEN CHOOSING A NEW PHYSICIAN

The first step in choosing the right physician is knowing what you want and need. Determining your medical needs means you should conduct a comprehensive analysis of your medical past and present while planning for the future. Nearly all physicians will want to know about your medical history so they can more effectively diagnose and treat you. Here are a few things you need to be honest about and upfront with to your prospective new doctor.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HOSPITALIZED?

This may not seem like such a big deal. Everyone has been to the hospital once…when you were born! However, knowing if you’ve been hospitalized, even if you were a child can determine a few things about the level of care you may want now and into the future.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY SURGERIES?

You may have had a surgery and not even know about it. Some surgeries are very routine and take place as a child like cleft lip, or cleft palate. Surgeons may have used a particular technique or drug that is no longer administered or they may have not completed the procedure exactly right. In addition, past surgeries can have future implications for your health as you grow older. It’s important for your future physician to know what your body has been through.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY SERIOUS ILLNESSES?

Some illnesses can have lifelong implications for your well-being. For instance, a common childhood illness like chicken pox can later develop into a painful condition known as shingles as an adult. Some conditions are lifelong and never truly go away like lupus, diabetes, epilepsy, and Cystic Fibrosis. If you’ve ever had a serious bout of illness in the past and seemed to have recovered – it’s still very important to let your doctor know. They may be able to see the warning signs of future troubles.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY?

Any injury can heal but manifest itself again later in life. If you’ve broken a bone, torn a muscle, been car accident, or simply taken a fall, your body can heal and come back strong. However, as the body ages, muscle becomes weaker, strength is lost, and old injuries can turn into chronic pains. If you think you may need ongoing treatment, consider which physician can most effectively treat you over the long-run.

Knowing about your past will help you determine what kind of care you might need in the future. Some illnesses have reoccurring symptoms over your lifetime. Past physical trauma or injuries can develop into chronic conditions that will require ongoing attention. Whether or not you want available treatment for these possible ongoing conditions will be an important factor in deciding which physician is right for you.

Sources:

http://www.ucc.ie/en/dss/academicstaff/disabilityawareness/soi/

http://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/surgery/side-effects-surgery