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Who are primary care doctors?

Primary care doctors specialize in family medicine, general medicine, or pediatrics. They are instrumental in providing accessible and affordable healthcare services that are person-centric and community-aligned. Primary care doctors are often the first contact for patients in the healthcare system. They are responsible for providing comprehensive care. Usually, patients develop trust and long-term relations with their physicians. 

Why do you need a primary care doctor?

A primary care doctor for an individual or a family is essential to regulate health. These doctors can regularly identify the disease and other risk factors, coordinating and managing chronic issues to improve quality of life. Primary care doctors use the patient's medical history or a long-term understanding to detect health issues before they become an acute concern. 

What medical conditions do primary care physicians address?

Primary care physicians care for various conditions and illnesses with varying complexities. Primary care physicians also deliver clinical preventive services, educate patients, and perform minor and major procedures, such as skin biopsy. Chronic conditions include hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Also, people with less common, severe chronic diseases, such as Parkinson's, generally see a primary care physician each year and a specialist, such as a neurologist.

What does a primary care physician do?

Primary care physicians are instrumental in helping families and communities stay healthy. Primary care physicians work in different settings, such as medical clinics, private clinics, long-term care facilities, outpatient and inpatient facilities, and group practices.

Primary care physicians provide the following services:

Wellness and prevention screening

The physicians check for high blood pressure, cardiac issues, diabetes, cholesterol, developmental disorders, cancer, immunization status, signs of depression, and domestic violence.

Acute illness and injury care

If you are sick or suspect symptoms, the primary care doctor might perform lab tests to diagnose the conditions and prescribe medication. If you succumb to an injury, the physician provides wound care and performs preliminary screening for broken bones, sprained ankles, and injured limbs. They also treat acute conditions like asthma attacks, migraines, or urinary tract infections. Minor allergies, skin rashes and diseases, and fever management are some conditions primary care physicians treat.

Care for chronic conditions

Those with long-term health issues coordinate with specialists for advanced treatment, who prescribe or modify treatment plans and regulate your health condition and response.

What educational qualifications does a primary care physician need?

Primary care physicians undergo rigorous training to become licensed and certified doctors. The journey to becoming a reliable primary care physician is as follows:

• Four years of college for a bachelor's degree.
• Four years in medical school.
• Clearing board exams conducted by the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).
• Alternatively, they can also clear two levels of the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMPLEX-USA).
• Completing a residency with rotations in various departments like pediatrics, obstetrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, and inpatient hospital care.
• A residency program to attain a specialty in the field of their choice; This step takes an additional 3-7 years.
• Become a board-certified doctor by clearing exams conducted by the American Board of Family Medicine or the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. 
• Some physicians complete a fellowship in any of the sub-specialties. 
• Finally, the physician must apply for state-specific licensure to practice in any state.

Areas of specialization among PCPs

Here's an overview of the different types of primary care physicians and their areas of specialization:

1. Family doctors: Family doctors are versatile healthcare providers who offer comprehensive care to patients across all age groups. Their training encompasses various medical fields, including adult medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatric medicine, and musculoskeletal care. In a typical family medicine practice, approximately 10% to 15% of their patients are children. This broad expertise allows family doctors to serve as the primary healthcare resource for entire families, from infants to older people.
2. Internists: Internists, or internal medicine specialists, focus exclusively on adult healthcare. Similar to family doctors, they manage a diverse range of acute and chronic conditions. To provide this comprehensive care, internists receive extensive training in various subspecialties, such as endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics, and rehabilitation. They play a crucial role in the health and well-being of adult patients.
3. Pediatricians: Pediatricians undergo specialized training dedicated to the well-being, development, and treatment of infants, children, and young adults up to the age of 21. Many pediatricians serve as primary care providers for children, addressing a broad spectrum of pediatric health concerns. Some pediatricians may choose to further specialize in specific areas, such as pediatric neurology or cardiology, to provide specialized care.
4. Geriatricians: Geriatricians specialize in the healthcare of older adults. Their advanced training equips them with expertise in managing complex issues commonly affecting seniors, including insomnia, dementia, and balance problems. While their skills are highly valuable, a limited number of certified geriatricians in the United States make it more challenging to find one when compared to finding internists or family doctors.
5. Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYN): OB-GYNs are medical doctors focusing on women's health. Their training encompasses reproductive health, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum conditions. Some OB-GYNs provide general health services akin to internists or family doctors. In contrast, others concentrate solely on female reproductive health, catering to the specific needs of women throughout their lives.

Where can you find the best primary care physician in Fort Lauderdale, FL?

Finding an experienced doctor nearby is crucial for our health and well-being. Having a primary care doctor as your dependable long-term healthcare provider is the most effective way to stay healthy and prevent medical conditions.  

You can easily find the best primary care physician in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, using Zocdoc. Zocdoc is a secure and freely accessible online platform that helps connect you with your ideal healthcare provider. Create your free account, select ‘primary care doctor’ on the Zocdoc website, and insert your city, pin code, and preferred appointment date and time. You will receive a comprehensive list of Fort Lauderdale's best primary care physicians based on the search filters. These search filters help you receive customized medical care, from gender to language, for maximum comfort. Zocdoc provides the option to book appointments online instantly. A patient can often visit the healthcare provider within 24 hours or opt for a same-day appointment. 

You can also book video appointments on Zocdoc before an in-person visit. Check for a purple video icon on the providers' profiles or filter the video appointment selection.

Each primary care physician on Zocdoc has a detailed profile with a brief introduction, qualifications, location, visit reasons, and patient reviews and ratings. Actual patients provide these reviews upon completion of their appointment. Hence, analyzing the patient reviews could be the best way to find the best primary care physician in Fort Lauderdale. 

Trends in the employment of primary care physicians and community health development

Primary care is an essential part of the high-performing U.S. healthcare system. Individuals with the privilege of accessing a regular primary care physician have fewer preventable hospital admissions and experience lower mortality. Many U.S. policy initiatives over the past decade have sought to bolster primary care use and access.

According to the data demonstrated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2021, 51.2% of adults in the U.S. visited primary care physicians.

According to a report published by the Robert Graham Center (RGC) on U.S. primary care in February 2021, there were about 111.7 primary care providers, per 100,000 individuals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. This equates to approximately one primary care physician for every 1,429 individuals and one primary care professional for every 895 individuals in the United States.

As per the IBIS world report, there are about 1,035,389 primary care physicians in the U.S. as of August 2022. The number of physicians in primary care in the U.S. increased by 2.3% on average over the five years between 2017 and 2022. According to the employment statistics shared by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2021, Florida is one of the highest employers of primary care doctors in the United States, home to about 7,160 primary care doctors.

Sources

WebMD

Healthline

Penn Medicine

American Academy of Family Physicians

Cleveland Clinic

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

IBIS World

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Robert Graham Center

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.