Your primary care doctor is often the first point of contact for non-emergency medical needs such as check-ups, common illnesses, screenings, and immunizations. They specialize in diagnosing, treating, preventing, and managing a wide variety of medical conditions and can come from family medicine or internal medicine backgrounds.

“Establishing a relationship with a primary care doctor provides you with a more consistent, efficient, and overall more valuable health care experience,” says Dr. Kyle Knabb, who joined Dopson Family Medical Center in 2012. “With every check-up, you continue to build a meaningful relationship with your doctor. We learn your medical history and are able to have more valuable conversations about your specific health needs and goals.”

This level of “continuity of care” arms your doctor with a thorough knowledge of your medical history and enables them to better advise you on lifestyle changes or medications that can improve your health.

Preventive care management

Your primary care doctor provides comprehensive health care by checking vitals (such as weight, heart rate, and blood pressure), having a discussion about your health, and prescribing medications. They may even refer you to a specialist for additional testing to identify and treat underlying conditions or help manage chronic conditions. This close relationship can help identify or prevent more serious long-term conditions like cancer, heart disease, or stroke.

Save yourself time and money down the line

During your regularly scheduled check-ups, your doctor will keep track of your progress and treatment and will monitor your specific health issues to advise you based on your health needs and goals. Referring yourself directly to a specialist without seeing your personal doctor first could result in a costly false diagnosis.

When you see your primary doctor, you save time by eliminating expensive appointments with different specialists in pursuit of diagnosis or treatment. They will refer you to the right specialist based on your check-up and medical history.

In-person vs. telehealth appointments

Due to the pandemic, telehealth appointments have become more prominent in medical practices across the nation. Telehealth appointments follow recent social distancing guidelines and allow you to speak with a doctor without coming into the office.

At Dopson Family Medical Center, we believe an in-person appointment will always be a more valuable interaction versus a telehealth appointment in terms of your health and wellbeing. Our doctors can provide you with better care and establish a more personalized relationship during an in-person appointment.

Rest assured – our team is following social distancing guidelines and taking every precaution to make sure that you stay safe during your visit.

Caring for your health is a team effort

The doctors at Dopson Family Medical Center work with our dedicated patient care team of specialist doctors, registered nurses, physician assistants, and other medical staff to help provide our patients and community with a valuable health care experience.

Ready to start building a doctor-patient relationship? Call our office at (904) 259-7815 to schedule an appointment.