Many of us are sometimes plagued by some health problem, for which home remedies are not enough and medical help is needed. In which cases should we turn to a family doctor and how can we help ourselves so that communication with the family doctor center is smooth and we receive advice and treatment?
Here we give ten recommendations to follow in communication with the family doctor’s center.
- When to consult a family doctor?
It is worth contacting the family doctor’s center if your health concern has not been alleviated by home remedies, but at the same time you do not need an extremely quick intervention, i.e. calling an ambulance or going to the EMO. It is customary to seek help from a family doctor, for example, due to a long-lasting or acute viral illness, various pains or other medical conditions. People with chronic diseases are also under the supervision of family doctors, and both children and adults can be vaccinated against infectious diseases at the family doctor’s center.
2. How to contact the family medical center?
Most people probably pick up the phone and call, but more and more family medicine centers also use e-service options. So if you use a computer or smartphone on a daily basis, check the website of your family doctor’s center to see if there is a possibility to contact them through the digital service platform. There are different platforms, for example e-Perearstikeskus, Perearst24, LEIA and Eelvisit. To use the e-service, you must first log in and then you can report, for example, that you are ill, ask for a repeat prescription or ask for health advice. The benefit is two-fold: the patient can write down his concern in detail at any time convenient for him, the family medical center can better plan the working hours of its employees, directing the person in need of help to a family doctor, family nurse or another specialist working in the family medical center according to the urgency and specificity of the concern.
3. The appointment does not always have to be on the same day
Patients are registered for an appointment with a family doctor or nurse based on the severity of their health concerns. If you have an acute health concern, you must make an appointment on the day of your application, in other cases within five working days.
4. Come on time!
If an appointment has been agreed with the family doctor, come to the appointment on time. If you cannot come to the appointment, inform the family doctor center as early as possible.
5. A family nurse can also be admitted instead of a family doctor
In family medicine centers, it is more and more usual for a family nurse to see the patient first instead of a doctor. Solving many health concerns is the responsibility of the family nurse, who assesses your health condition, gives advice and, if necessary, calls you back to the reception. If the health concern exceeds the nurse’s competence, she will refer you to a family doctor or another specialist.
6. Prepare for the reception and be specific
Before the appointment, think carefully about your health concerns and write down the most important things. In this way, you can discuss everything necessary during the reception and the reception will stay within the planned time.
7. Multiple health problems may require multiple admissions
If you have more than one health concern, it may take longer to resolve them. Therefore, it may be necessary to book several consecutive appointments – ask the family nurse or administrator about this when booking an appointment on the phone or digital platform. If you also want to ask the doctor for advice about the health concerns of other family members, you should make a separate appointment for everyone, otherwise the family doctor will not be able to solve the health concerns of others during your appointment.
8. Trust the doctors!
Getting sick is a serious matter for every person, so it is understandable that they often want to have themselves thoroughly examined. However, if the family doctor does not consider it necessary to perform certain tests or examinations, then there is no reason to doubt his decision. Please trust your family doctor and family nurse!
9. Adhere to the treatment instructions assigned to you
If your family doctor has prescribed medication and given you treatment instructions, you should stick to them. Medicines must be taken exactly as prescribed by the doctor, not by increasing or decreasing the amounts on your own. For example, there is a tendency to take blood pressure medication only when the blood pressure is high in order to control the situation. In fact, the drug must be taken all the time to have a continuous effect. If any medication causes side effects, contact your GP to discuss alternatives, rather than simply stopping the medication.
10. Politeness above all else
Be good and communicate with your family nurse and family doctor during their working hours, while mutual polite and respectful communication is important.
2024-03-13 08:41:56
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