Illnesses and ailments often treated by primary care physicians include: So they are in the best position to support you with the best solution for your long-term health. Your PCP has in-depth knowledge of your medical history and what medications you take. Outside of this, you can also consult your primary care physician about non-emergency medical issues, including reproductive health, nutrition, sleeping problems, stress management, mental health concerns, and minor illnesses and injuries. In other words, your PCP should be your first port of call for routine checkups and examinations. Routine maintenance of your health is crucial for prevention and the early diagnosis of serious illnesses and chronic conditions which may not present easy-to-spot symptoms from the offset. You should book regular health checkups with your primary care doctor, even if you don’t feel sick.

When & Why to Go to Your Primary Care Doctor Let’s take a look at some more specific examples of when and why to choose PCP vs. Urgent care clinics treat a wide variety of injuries and illnesses that are more time-sensitive than a visit to your primary care physician, but not pressing enough to warrant a trip to (or a long wait in) an emergency room. It’s more of an intermediary between emergency room treatment and your regular family doctor. But is urgent care primary care? No, not exactly. Urgent care is a category of walk-in clinic. Over time, your primary care physician gets to know you as an individual and will monitor your health, diagnose and treat your illnesses, and coordinate referrals with specialists if you need assistance outside their field of expertise.

Unless you move out of the area or switch insurance plans, you’ll likely stick with the same PCP for the majority of your adult life.

Urgent care and primary care facilities both play an essential role in your overall healthcare, but each serves its own unique purpose.Ī Primary Care Physician (PCP) is a general practitioner who typically acts as the first point of contact for your healthcare needs. primary care? Where are the nearest medical facilities? Can you use urgent care as primary care? Urgent Care vs. Many questions may run through your mind… Should you seek urgent care vs. In the panic of the moment, it’s not always clear where to go for assistance. Realizing you need medical treatment can be stressful.

Family doctor vs general practitioner