Why everyone, regardless of age, needs a primary care provider
It is not uncommon for a variety of chronic conditions, like hypertension or pre-diabetes, to develop in young adulthood. Yet 45 percent of people in their 20s don’t even have a primary care provider, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. That is a big mistake, according to nurse practitioner Marissa Frongillo, NP, MSN, who practices at Yarmouth Primary Care.
“I think of primary care as an investment in your future health,” she said. “It enables us to identify disease processes early and allows patients to access medical treatment in the most efficient way.”
At a minimum, Frongillo recommends young people have a physical once a year, in addition to seeing a primary care provider for any episodic illnesses.
Why Not Use the Emergency Department?
Regular visits to your primary care can help prevent visits to the Emergency Department (ED) or Urgent Care centers, she said. “When an individual does not have a primary care provider, this can lead to unnecessary access to tertiary care which is really intended for potentially life-threatening situations” Frongillo said.
Individuals who do not have a primary care provider can end up in the ED for minor problems like strep throat. This can lead to long wait times and a higher out of pocket cost for treatment.
Further, it is essential to follow-up with your primary care provider after being evaluated in the ER. She used the example of a patient presenting to the ED with rectal bleeding. After evaluation, this may be treated as hemorrhoids with instruction for close follow-up with the primary care team. Thereafter, the patient should follow-up with a primary care provider to ensure that if persistent, a colonoscopy can be ordered to evaluate for the presence of colon cancer.
Prevention is Key
Helping prevent disease processes and providing education to her patients is one of the most rewarding parts of Frongillo’s job, she said.
“The goal is to treat hypertension and elevated cholesterol to prevent a heart attack and stroke, to treat osteoporosis to prevent a fracture and so on and so forth. Primary care involves a great deal of education in the hopes that our patients realize that investing in their health now is critical to enhancing the quality and duration of their life in years to come”.
Additionally, many health conditions are asymptomatic. Primary care providers are evaluating patients for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar – all of which may not have any clear symptoms at the outset but can lead to serious complications over time and need to be addressed.
Frongillo knows that it is quite natural for patients to feel apprehensive about seeing a provider. Having regular primary care visits can hopefully reduce that apprehension as patients will be able to see a provider that they have met before. This reduces anxiety related to health care visits and improves continuity of care, leading to better patient outcomes.
“We are the home base for all of the health conditions,” she said. “Every single person needs a primary care provider.”
