Choosing a primary care physician(PCP) is a key decision in creating your healthcare plan. Some things you might want to find out are size of practice (large group of physicians vs. solo practitioner), whether the physician is affiliated with an academic medical center, the length of time in practice, number of patients he currently manages, and how much time the physician spends on average with patients during the first visit and for subsequent visits. Below are more questions you may want to ask. This is a short list of questions. You should modify it or supplement it with questions that are specific to your needs and interests.
12 Questions you may want to ask your potential PCP
- What is the size of your practice? (how many other physicians do you practice with?)
- What are your office hours? Any on evenings or weekends?
- Are you affiliated with an academic medical center?
- Which hospitals do you have admission privileges to?
- How long have you been in practice?
- How many patients do you currently manage?
- How much time do you spend on average with your patients on their first visit?
- How much time do you spend with patients on subsequent visits?
- Do you use any CAM (complimentary and alternative medicine )or holistic approaches?
- How do you feel about your patients seeking second opinions?
- What is your network of specialists like; how many specialists do you work with regularly to treat patients?
- Does the doctor (or a nurse/physician assistant) give advice over the phone or over e-mail for common medical problems?
Ruthann Russo, PhD, JD, MPH, RHIT, is a healthcare expert with more than 20 years of experience working in and advising healthcare organizations.
