The Intercare Advantage: Find a Doctor Who Meets Your Needs
Choosing someone to care for your health can be challenging. It pays to seek help when navigating the healthcare system to find a doctor who meets your needs. The Hippocratic oath binds all physicians to a duty of care, and almost ten years of training and continuing professional development provide a general practitioner with a wealth of medical knowledge to call upon when performing a diagnosis or prescribing treatment. One might, therefore, be tempted to think that which one you choose to care for you is of little consequence. However, experience shows that this is frequently not the case.
Find a Doctor: Choosing the Right Doctor-Patient Relationship for You
How a doctor interacts with patients and vice-versa can influence treatment outcomes and could also determine whether the doctor-patient relationship will be a lasting one. There are essentially four models of physician-patient relationships. Each has characteristics that will appeal to some patients more than others:
- Paternalistic:
In this type of relationship, the physician assumes a role similar to that of a parent or guardian by presenting information selectively and encouraging patients to agree to any tests and treatment the healthcare professional believes necessary to restore their health, thus effectively excluding them from the decision-making process. Simply put, this is an authoritarian approach in which the physician states: “Something’s wrong, and this is what’s going to happen”.
- Informative:
In this model, the doctor acts as a competent technical expert. Here, the objective is to provide the patient with all the information and salient facts relevant to their condition, discuss the available treatment options and their potential benefits and risks, and allocate the responsibility for choosing or refusing any proposed interventions to the patient. To sum up, an informative practitioner says: “Here are the facts; what do you want to do”?
- Interpretive:
As in the informative model, the physician supplies information about the patient’s condition and the risks and benefits of the various treatment options. However, rather than leaving the decision solely to the patient, the doctor acts more like a counsellor by helping patients reach a decision based on their personal goals and values. An interpretive physician says: “You’ve heard all the facts; let’s work together to decide what’s best for you”.
- Deliberative:
Here, the healthcare professional’s role is that of a friend or teacher, informing patients about their condition, the various treatments, and their pros and cons where appropriate. While providing persuasive arguments in favour of adopting a particular treatment plan, the final decision is left to the patient. In essence, the deliberative type says: “Here’s what I think is best, but you must decide.”
For several reasons, it’s easy to see that no single style will suit everyone, so seeking a physician-patient relationship that best suits your personality and needs is desirable. However, there are also some more practical considerations when attempting to find a doctor.
Other Things to Consider When You Need to Find a Doctor
Being ill can be stressful enough, especially when you are in pain, so getting the help you need should not add to that stress. However, this is frequently not the case. For example, what can you do if you become sick in the evening, after your GP’s practice has closed, on a weekend, or during a public holiday? Often, the only option is to attend the casualty department of a local hospital and perhaps wait several hours before receiving the medical attention you need.
Perhaps you live far from the city and don’t drive or don’t own a car, and maybe there is no public transport in your area. A private taxi could prove expensive, and your medical aid scheme might not agree to cover the cost of an ambulance.
Although these may appear to be insurmountable obstacles, they can all be easily overcome with a bit of expert help. Intercare is a specialised medical organisation dedicated to providing solutions to all the above problems and more.
Why You Should Let Intercare Help You Find a Doctor that’s Right for You
The Intercare Group was founded in 2000 and opened its first medical and dental centre in the Pretoria suburb of Lynwood. Today, the organisation has almost 30 facilities, including multidisciplinary medical and dental centres, day hospitals, subacute and rehabilitation hospitals, and one devoted entirely to women’s healthcare. At Intercare, we adopt a patient-first philosophy, structuring our integrated healthcare services around the health and needs of our patients while ensuring they are readily accessible, affordable, and of the highest quality.
We exist to make people feel better, and that begins with helping them find a doctor who will best satisfy their healthcare needs. Here are some of the ways we strive to achieve this:
- Multidisciplinary Healthcare Centres:
Typically, a GP is the primary care provider and, thus, the first port of call for someone feeling unwell. During a preliminary examination, the doctor may collect blood samples to be taken to a pathology lab for testing, and based on the results, the patient might be referred to a specialist at another clinic. Separating these facilities causes delays and patient stress, and often requires them to travel considerable distances before finally receiving the necessary treatment.
We at Intercare operate 28 multidisciplinary medical and dental centres to provide all these services and more under one roof to optimise the patient experience.
- Flexible GP hours:
It usually requires several appointments to diagnose, treat, and monitor a patient’s illness. In most cases, this will require repeated absences from work. For employees, this can be disruptive and embarrassing, while for the self-employed, it might also mean loss of income.
By contrast, Intercare patients can consult a doctor in the evening after regular surgery hours and even on a weekend or public holiday. Where else would you find a doctor willing to do that?
- Virtual Consultation:
You might find a doctor to assist you over the phone when you genuinely can’t attend the practice. However, this is the digital age, and a phone call provides only verbal information. Intercare patients can arrange a video consultation with their doctor, which is the next best thing to a live meeting.
These are just some of the many valuable benefits you will enjoy as an Intercare patient. Please don’t hesitate to register with Intercare if you want accessible, high-quality, affordable healthcare services and easy online booking.
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