How to Get a Primary Care Doctor

Ryan Brennan • Oct 01, 2022

Let’s be honest – if it weren’t for the many primary care doctors in the world today, most of us wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves in the event of an injury, illness, or any other health concern. We wouldn’t know where to go, who to see, when to worry, and how to get better.

Just look at the numbers – more than 83% of all adults in the United States visited a doctor or healthcare provider in 2020. Not only that, but 94% of all children did the same. With over 860 million physician office visits every year, almost half of them are with a primary care doctor.

We firmly believe that everyone should have a good relationship with their primary care doctor, but finding a primary care physician that you feel comfortable with is easier said than done – especially considering there are nearly 210,000 primary care physicians in the United States.

With so many primary care doctors in your local area – trust us, they’re on every corner – many people have no idea how to choose a primary care physician that meets their expectations and needs. Don’t worry, there’s a primary care doctor out there for you and we’ll help you find them!

First thing’s first, let’s make a list of your needs and expectations. This is good practice for the patient, but also comes in handy when you meet your doctor – allowing you to be upfront about what you’re looking for. It also gives you an idea of whether or not you should be looking at family practice physicians or internal medicine doctors.

Next, let’s make a list of all the nearby primary care physicians in your area -- or internal medicine physician, if needed. Think about how far away you’re willing to travel and write down the names of all the doctors that meet the criteria. It’s okay if you have a long list because we’ll be narrowing it down rather quickly.

1. Check With Your Health Insurance Plan

For those that have health plan, you’ll be able to cross a lot of doctors off your list if they don’t accept your insurance plan or aren’t in your network. When you choose an ‘in-network’ doctor, you’ll save a considerable amount of money and will finally put your health insurance to use.

For those that don’t have health insurance, you’ll want to confirm that they accept cash-pay patients. Furthermore, you’ll want to see if they have any payment plans, programs, or benefits for those without insurance. In many cases, they have ways of helping you save lots of money.

2. Ask Around for Referrals

By now, your list should be considerably smaller, but there’s still a lot to go over. The next step would be to start asking around for referrals. Ask a friend, family member, co-worker, and anyone else you have a relationship with to see if they have a primary doctor they like.

Likewise, you can always ask your old or current physician for a referral – though this is usually reserved for those that are moving and still have a good relationship with their doctor. You can also call nearby hospitals to see if they have any referrals to consider – they’re usually willing to help.

3. Read Testimonials & Reviews

Aside from the referrals you receive from those you know, you can learn a lot about a doctor and their practice by reading patient reviews and testimonials. You can find these on Google, Yelp, and other sites like RateMDs, OpenMD, Vitals.com, Healthgrades, and much more.

One thing you’ll have to keep in mind is that not all negative reviews are being honest and/or telling the whole story. Many doctors -- if not all -- are going to have at least one negative review – if not many. What you’re looking for is patterns and trends in the reviews given.

4. Place a Cold Call or Visit the Office

When you call a doctor’s office, you won’t get to speak with the doctor, but you will get to speak with the receptionist and this can tell you a lot about how the office is run. Ideally, the staff would be extremely helpful, friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, and ready to answer any questions.

While those traits are all required in a receptionist, you’d be surprised how many receptionists slip on a regular basis – which is what we want to avoid. Of course, you can also visit the office and meet the staff in person to get a better idea of how they treat patients on a daily basis.

5. Check Their Availability

There’s nothing worse than finding the right doctor for you and your family, just to learn they aren’t currently accepting new patients. If they don’t have a notice (either at the office or on their website), don’t hesitate to ask the receptionist – they should be happy to help!

With that said, you’ll also want to steer free of doctors that say they’re accepting new patients, but don’t really have the time to honor those patients. These doctors usually book extremely far in advance because they take on so many patients, making it difficult to treat each one properly.

6. Trust Your Gut Feeling

Our final piece of advice for you when finding a primary care physician is to simply trust your gut feeling. Do you feel as if you can be honest with the doctor? Do they make you feel comfortable and relaxed? Are they listening to your concerns and explaining things in layman’s terms?

If you answered ‘yes’ to those questions, then you might’ve just found yourself a primary care physician – a quality one, at that. This is an exciting day for you and your family, knowing that you’re on your way to a healthier, happier, more rewarding, and more meaningful lifestyle.

Now It’s Time to Schedule That Appointment!

Are you looking for a new primary care physician in the Las Vegas valley? If so, then you came to the right place! At Good Samaritan, we’re currently accepting new patients and are even accepting same-day appointments for those that need us in a jiffy – don’t worry, we’ll be there!

You can learn more about the many services we offer and our wonderful staff – which is led by Dr. Shaun Jang, MD – on our website. When you’re ready to schedule that first appointment with us, you can do so online by filling out a quick form, or by contacting our office today!

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