Living Well: Finding a primary care doctor

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) – Choosing a primary care doctor can be a difficult but necessary task.

Dr. Douglas Pogue, President of BJC Medical Group. told News 4 that primary care consists of three aspects: Family practice, internal medicine, and geriatrics. He added that everyone should have a primary care doctor.

“A lot of data shows if you have a primary care relationship, a medical home so to speak, your overall cost for healthcare lifelong is lower,” he said. “You spend less time in the hospital.”

When starting the search for a primary care doctor, Dr. Pogue said to start by assessing your needs. Other things to consider are if you speak a second language. He also suggests researching doctors online to look for physicians that publish their patient experiences, asking family and friends for referrals and consider insurance.

“Finding a doctor that takes your insurance now but find a doctor that actually takes many different insurances so life changes jobs change insurance changes,” he said.

While the trend of using urgent care is good for quick care, Dr. Pogue said having a provider is best for long-term health.

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