When you’re living with asthma, working with an asthma specialist is, no doubt, central to improving your health and quality of life. Nonetheless, it is also worth keeping in mind that having a primary care physician within your care team is just as important to helping you successfully navigate your condition. To begin with, your primary care physician should be the leader of your care team. They are also usually the first to identify the need for specialized care.
Let’s explore the reasons to have a primary care physician in addition to your asthma specialist for your treatment.
Comprehensive Care
Having a primary care physician in your care team means you have a go-to for all of your healthcare needs— for preventive care, treatment of acute illnesses and minor injuries, and management of other chronic conditions.
If, for instance, you are also living with obesity and obesity-related comorbidity (e.g., diabetes and/or hypertension), your primary care physician can ensure the safest and most effective intervention by coordinating your care with the appropriate healthcare specialists.
Efficient Medication Management
Your primary care physician can serve as your gatekeeper by monitoring all of the medications you are taking, not only those for your asthma. Your PCP takes note of any changes in dosages or frequency of your medications and ensures none of them will cause adverse effects or interact with each other.
Many physician offices have electronic medical record (EMR) systems, which contain the diagnoses, medications, medical history, immunization dates, allergies, and all other vital information about each patient. EMR is equipped with a notification system, which automatically prompts your PCP about medication contraindications and any possible side effects. Your PCP can discuss these with you, make the necessary adjustments to your medications, and collaborate with your asthma specialist to better manage your medication regimen.
Better Health Outcomes
Research suggests that people, regardless of what type of chronic condition they have, show better health outcomes when they have their primary care physicians to facilitate their care than those who do not. This is said to be ascribed to primary care physicians’ initiatives to provide constant reinforcements, such as lifestyle and nutritional counseling.
A long-term relationship with your primary care physician essentially helps you avoid costly medical bills, as it reduces the necessity for emergency room visits and hospitalization.
Primary Care Physician in Bradenton and Sarasota, FL
At Intercoastal Medical Group, Dr. Matthew Aresery, MD is a board-certified allergy and asthma physician who specializes in the diagnoses and treatment of these conditions. Also within Intercoastal Medical Group, there are 18 internal medicine physicians and 28 family medicine providers. This means that you have both a primary care physician and an asthma specialist all within one practice—so you never have to go elsewhere to get the comprehensive and specialized care that you need.
To arrange a consultation with Dr. Aresery, give us a call today at (941) 362-8640 . You may also request an appointment for him or a primary care physician by using this form.
