Primary care doctors (PCPs) are healthcare practitioners who offer general healthcare. Patients typically see them for non-specific issues and regular check-ups, helping ensure their overall wellness is on track, as well as treating chronic ailments like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and mental health concerns. PCPs play a pivotal role in providing preventative and curative care to their patients’ ailments.
Many times, PCPs are the initial point of contact when an individual needs to see a doctor. At their visit, the doctor checks vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse rate; additionally, they perform physical examinations that might include checking the patient’s heart, lungs, stomach, skin, muscles; in some cases they may even perform tests like MRIs on patients experiencing issues with specific organs or parts of their body.
A PCP may also perform procedures such as blood work, X-rays and spinals. While this type of medical care isn’t always necessary or recommended, PCPs are experienced at it.
Primary care physicians are often the initial contact for those seeking specialty or health coverage for a condition or injury. Many healthcare plans require primary care physicians to be “board-certified” (or board-eligible) by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) before being accepted onto their network.
In the United States, primary care doctor in Detroit, MI must register with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a provider of chronic disease management services for Medicare beneficiaries. This allows patients to see an H-P-P without first visiting a specialist or receiving approval from their insurance company.
What Is EBM?
A common misunderstand among newbie bloggers is to mistakenly confuse evidence-based medicine with evidence-based practice (EBP). In medicine, EBM refers to a system of clinical decision making that bases decisions on current evidence; EBP describes how those decisions are made.
An example: Bariatric surgery (surgical weight loss) has been proven to be an effective treatment for obesity and its related health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and joint issues. Unfortunately, some people will opt out of having bariatric surgery due to fear of going under the knife or feeling uncomfortably with procedures like gastric bypass or banding – this would be considered EBP (Extreme Weight Loss).
EBP (Evidence-Based Medicine) is a decision-making model used by doctors when prescribing treatments. When practicing EBP, doctors weigh the evidence both for and against a certain diagnosis or treatment before coming to a final determination. A key aspect of practicing EBP is being willing to adjust your mind if evidence suggests another course of action would be more successful.
