As a senior, the relationship you have with your primary care physician should be one of the most important relationships in your life. Not only is your primary care doctor responsible for monitoring your health and prescribing necessary medications, but they also act as part of your health support system and a resource for all your health needs. So, what if you feel you aren’t getting the best out of your primary care doctor, or your doctor just isn’t fitting your preferences and needs? Many patients consider changing doctors for these very reasons. Just because you already have a primary care physician that you visit regularly, doesn’t mean they are the right fit. This is why you must know the signs that indicate you should consider changing your primary care doctor, as well as how to navigate this process. Keep reading to learn more!
Reasons for Switching Primary Care Doctors
Personal Care Dissatisfaction
Although you may be getting your prescriptions and completing your annual checkups, you may still feel like your health needs aren’t being heard. If you feel this way, you are not alone. According to a research survey, 71% of patient participants reported that they felt their doctor lacked compassion when communicating with them. Likewise, 73% reported that they felt rushed by their doctor during their appointments [1]. There has also been a decline in comprehensive care, meaning that doctors often opt to meet immediate health concerns more than focusing on preventative care and holistic issues [2]. These issues can have a drastic negative impact on your healthcare experience as a patient and leave you feeling discouraged.
Practical Considerations
On the other hand, your doctor may communicate well with you, but not meet your practical needs. For example, your primary care doctor of choice could be out of your insurance network, making the costs of appointments out of your budget. Or, perhaps you recently moved, and now the location of your primary care doctor’s office is too far to visit conveniently. There may be other practical issues, like limited office hours times you are available for appointments, or a lack of specializations in your area of need. Although it likely feels frustrating that you found a doctor that fits your personal care needs but not your practical needs, this is a viable reason for switching primary care doctors.
Red Flags in Current Medical Care
If you experience any of the following “red flags” in medical care, you should strongly consider switching primary care doctors. These red flags can have detrimental impacts on your health and well-being.
- Misdiagnosis concerns: If you are concerned that your doctor has misdiagnosed you with a condition you don’t have, or that doesn’t make sense for your symptoms, consider seeing a different doctor for clarity.
- Lack of follow-up: If your doctor is consistently late with follow-up calls or appointments, or lacks them altogether, this is a sure sign that it is time to find a new doctor who values your time and health needs.
- Outdated treatment approaches: If your doctor is recommending treatment that is outdated or not backed up by any research, this should cause alarm.
- Unprofessional conduct: If your doctor speaks to you or acts in a way that is insensitive or disrespectful, find a new doctor immediately.
Is It Okay to Switch Primary Care Physicians?
Ethical and Medical Perspectives
As a patient, you have the right to switch primary care physicians whenever you see fit [3]. Your primary healthcare provider should fit the professional medical standards and laws, so if they are not meeting requirements, it’s time to find a doctor who will. Your level of comfort and trust as a patient is key, and many doctors out there will meet professional medical standards, your practical considerations, and your communication needs. It’s just a matter of making the extra effort to switch.
Potential Concerns and Misconceptions
There may be some concerns that are holding you back from changing doctors. For example, many believe that changing doctors is difficult and requires starting your healthcare journey completely from scratch. However, these are common myths about changing doctors. Although switching primary care physicians can take some time and research, it shouldn’t be extremely difficult. And, your medical records should be transferred from your old doctor to your new doctor so that your new doctor will have context about your medical history before your first appointment [4].
Steps to Switch Primary Care Doctors
Initial Research and Preparation
The first step for switching primary care doctors is preparing by researching what doctors are out there that can fit your medical needs. If you have medical insurance, visit your insurance portal and search “primary care physician” under the “find a new doctor” page. This will bring you to a list of primary care physicians who are under your insurance. You can narrow down the search by applying filters, like location, specialization, spoken language, and/or credentials.
After you narrow down your search, it is important to check that your physicians have reputable credentials and specialize in your area of need. Make sure they are in a location you are comfortable getting to and from, and that they are currently accepting new patients. Read reviews carefully to see if other patients had a positive experience seeing them. After you confirm that this is a doctor you would like to potentially switch to, call their office to verify that they take your insurance before making an appointment for a consultation.
Consultation and Evaluation
An initial consultation appointment can help you understand if this new primary care physician is a good fit for your needs and preferred style of care. To prepare for the appointment, create a list of your current medication conditions, medications, and concerns. It is also smart to note family histories of conditions, regardless of if you have this condition diagnosed or not. Include some questions to ask your new doctor, even if these questions aren’t about your medical conditions. For example, you could ask them about their approach to holistic healthcare or their communication style as a doctor.
Medical Records Transfer Process
In most cases, you can access your medical information through your online patient portal. If you don’t have a patient portal or can’t find the information you are looking for on it, give your primary care doctor’s office a call and ask about the process for requesting medical records to be transferred to a new doctor. You will likely have to fill out a few consent forms to have this information released to your new doctor [4]. After your form is processed, your medical records should be transferred safely from your old doctor to your new doctor. To check that this transfer was completed properly, confirm with your new doctor if they received your medical records and if anything is missing.
Choosing the Right Primary Care Physician
Qualification Considerations
If you are unsure about what qualifications to look for when choosing a new primary care physician, there are a few standards you should pay attention to. First, take a look at their board certifications. A board certification is an achievement that notes that a physician has shown advanced knowledge and skills in their area of specialization [5]. To verify if your new doctor is certified, visit the American Board of Medical Specialties Certification Verifier tool.
Next, research how many years of experience they have. Although it isn’t always the case, many years of experience usually indicate that this doctor is a master in their practice and has had plenty of experience working with patients just like you. Then, explore their specializations and make sure they match your needs. Finally, see if the doctor has any hospital affiliations. If a doctor has a hospital affiliation, it means that they partner with that hospital and are able to easily refer you to that hospital for specific procedures, many times even performing these procedures themselves at the hospital [6].
Practical Factors
You’ll also want to pay attention to a few practical factors of your potential primary care physician. First, look at the location of the new office and determine if it is possible to get to and from. Next, inquire about the communication style of the new doctor. You can do this by reading reviews and recommendations from other patients. These reviews will likely include current patients’ sentiments toward the doctor, how the doctor communicates, and their overall quality of care.
Navigating the Transition
Managing Ongoing Medical Care
Once you transition from your old doctor to your new doctor, there are a few things you’ll want to keep on your radar. First, make sure to stay consistent with your current prescriptions, unless they are causing any concern. Just because you switch doctors does not mean you switch medications! If you have any concerns about medications prescribed by a former doctor, ask your new doctor about the prescriptions and voice your concerns. You should also discuss your current treatment plan with your new doctor. But until your first appointment, maintain this treatment plan. Finally, you should ask your old doctor and your new doctor about how they coordinate care for patients who are switching.
Potential Challenges
If you had to leave your old provider suddenly and couldn’t find a new provider for a while, you may experience some potential challenges. There may have been a gap in medical coverage, meaning that you lacked medical care during the time between leaving your old provider and starting care with a new one. This gap may also occur if you had to switch doctors due to a change in your medical insurance, which means that certain co-payments and services might no longer be covered [7].
Another challenge you may face is adjusting to a new medical approach. Your new doctor may have a different style of care than your old one, which can take some time to get used to. Always voice your concerns if you have any, but be patient with yourself and your doctor during this transitional period!
Legal and Insurance Considerations
Insurance Provider Guidelines
If you switched insurances and needed to find a new doctor, just because that new doctor is part of your new network doesn’t mean that the same services will be covered. There are network-specific restrictions that may affect what is covered and not covered, which could determine price differences. Another consideration to be aware of is referral requirements, which is a written referral from your old doctor to your new doctor or specialist. A referral is necessary to make certain specialist appointments [8].
Patient Rights
When switching to a new doctor, you will get a patient informed consent form to fill out. It is important that you read and understand this document thoroughly. This document will explain your rights as a patient to be involved in your medical decision-making [9]. In addition to the information on the consent form, you should also know that the healthcare provider technically owns the physical record of your medical history—but you generally have the right to access this information at any time [10].
Potential Impacts on Medical Care
Continuity of Treatment
Although switching primary care physicians has an adjustment period, it is important that you stay on top of managing your chronic condition and maintaining treatment momentum. Stay diligent in taking care of your health and communicate your medical history to your new doctor.
Psychological Aspects
It is vital to build trust with your new physician, as this is someone who will be partly responsible for your health over the years. It can feel scary to trust someone new with something as personal as medical information, but you must overcome this anxiety to get the best possible healthcare. Transparency is key when creating a positive and helpful relationship with your new doctor—if you are not telling them the whole truth about your health or concerns, you won’t get the most out of primary care.
Red Flags and When to Reconsider
Signs You’ve Made the Right Choice
When you encounter positives about your new primary care doctor, make note of them! This will help solidify that you’ve made the right decision. If you’ve found that communication between you and your doctor is honest and helpful, this is a sign you’ve made the right choice. Other signs include receiving comprehensive and holistic care, as well as a better understanding of your health needs and conditions.
Warning Signs of Potential Issues
Sometimes, even the primary care doctor we switch to ends up not being the right fit. Some signs that it may be time to reconsider your primary care provider include experiencing persistent communication issues, finding that your doctor lacks professionalism, or discovering that your doctor has healthcare philosophies that do not positively impact your health.
Empowering Patient Healthcare Choices
The future of your treatment is in your hands. Taking the step to switch from a primary care physician who does not meet your needs to one who is a helpful asset in your journey is often the first step of proactive healthcare management. Contact Greater Good Health today to share your experience and learn more about finding a new primary care physician!