Why Is it Important to Have a Family Doctor?

Having a family doctor ensures your long-term health and accessing high-quality health care that is focussed on your specific needs, not just the certain condition that you are dealing with at various times. Patients who have a family doctor are far more likely to receive essential preventative care that offers early detection of life-threatening health conditions resulting in significantly higher recovery rates and a reduced risk of requiring more intensive treatments as the health condition is more easily treated. Your family doctor will also be able to treat most chronic illnesses or conditions that arise and will act as your health advocate. Most specialists will also require referrals that are provided only by your family doctor and will keep your family doctor up to date regarding your treatments, so patients who are seeing multiple specialists will be able to use their family doctor as their healthcare advocate to ensure all treatments are compatible.

Aside from providing essential preventative care through immunizations, regular health assessments, and regular screenings for early detection of a variety of health conditions, family doctors are also able to treat a wide variety of illnesses and injuries, including chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, or cancer. They will ensure that if they are lacking in knowledge or capabilities to treat specific conditions you are provided with all necessary specialists and will act as the coordinators for multiple specialists where relevant.

Other health conditions that are commonly treated just by family doctors include:

• Obesity (providing patients with medically supervised weight loss treatments)
• Skin conditions including eczema or psoriasis
• Acne
• Fertility and pregnancy
• Allergies
• Arthritis

Not every family doctor will have specific training in all of these health conditions but where they lack expertise, they will ensure that each patient is provided with a referral to a recommended specialist to make sure that their patients all have access to high-quality medical care.

Many family doctors will offer primary care services for all members of the family, from pediatric to geriatric. This care will likely be fairly general in that they will be qualified to assess, diagnose, and treat the majority of illnesses or injuries that come up with their patients regardless of age or gender, but it is very common for family doctors to also receive specialized training in one or more areas of family medicine. For example, some family doctors will choose to offer all family medical services with a focus on pediatric care or will specialize in women’s health. All family doctors will undergo the same degree of initial training, making them each more than qualified to treat all of their patients, but if you have specific health concerns or wish to see the same physician as your partner or children, it is worth researching the specialties of potential family doctors. Being able to receive essential health care under the same roof as all other members of your family makes keeping up with everyone’s specific health needs much more convenient.

Rocky Mount Family Medical Center is a great option for those who are located in or around Rocky Mount, NC, and are in search of a family medicine clinic that is able to provide high-quality medical care for their entire family. Our medical center has several physicians and physician assistants, all with vast amounts of experience in their chosen specialties, ensuring that every member of your household will be able to receive the quality of healthcare that they deserve with the convenience of it all being received under one roof. Whether you are in search of a trusted and skilled family doctor who is able to treat all members of your family or have a pre-existing health condition that requires specialized care, Rocky Mount Family Medical Center will be there to provide you with a lifetime of care to keep you and your family healthy and happy.

Regular visits to our family doctor at Rocky Mount Family Medical Center may assist you and your family in making effective choices and avoiding health concerns. For more information, contact us or request an appointment! We are conveniently located at 804 English Road, Suite 100 Rocky Mount, NC 27804. We serve patients from Rocky Mount NC, Nashville NC, Westry NC, Dortches NC, Red Oak NC, and Sharpsburg NC.