Save time and money!

A trip to a primary doctor first for preventative care and non-emergencies may assist with avoiding a trip to an emergency room or urgent care to save you money. In fact, if everybody did this, we would save about $67 billion annually. [1] Primary doctors have many of the same resources to request medical tests as doctors of the emergency room. In addition, you gain a more personalized experience within a shorter time frame. Less time is spent explaining your medical background to a primary physician, leaving more time to focus on your present health concerns.

Get Specialist Referrals & Recommendations

We can think of the primary doctor’s office as a hotspot where we can go to get treated or connected to a specialist, via a referral or recommendation. If the doctor believes specific care and attention is necessary, they may assist you with finding a specialist. This courtesy is helpful as the doctor’s office most often has established a working relationship with the specialist to whom they’re referring you to, and you don’t have the burden of searching for specialists your own. In 2009, “Patient complaints that lead to the most referrals are related to vision (21 percent), gynecological (18 percent), gastrointestinal (18 percent), orthopedic (16 percent), dermatological (15 percent), and cardiovascular (15 percent).” [2]

Keep track of Medical Records

A primary doctor maintains a medical folder just for you! This comes in handy when trying to remember the details of past diagnosis’, test results, procedures, and immunizations. More importantly, you and your doctor can monitor your health throughout the years. Many offices, including HealthNet, have online systems that allow patient access to medical records, lab results, and medicine/prescription records.

Build A Long-Lasting Relationships

As time progresses, you may feel more comfortable consulting with your doctor. Whether it be that your finger feels weird or experiencing intermittent heart palpitations, you can feel free to bring up both minor and major concerns at primary care appointments.

As you go through life, having someone on your side to help advocate for you is beneficial. Make the most of the process by researching the best doctor for you. Check out our Find a Provider database here at HealthNet for updated information and biographies of our amazing primary doctors.

[1] https://www.primarycareprogress.org/primary-care-case/ [2] https://www.3mhisinsideangle.com/blog-post/specialist-referral-primary-care-providers-information-need/

Posted by: Akiliah Walker, Marketing and Communications Intern

Level 1: Be aware of popular apps. According to Pew Research Center, the most popular apps among teens in 2018 were: YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit. [1] We know this! However, different apps become popular all the time. Those apps would include: TikTok, Monkey, Houseparty, Discord, WeChat, and even dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, Hily, etc).

 Level 2: Be aware of popular app features. Some today are:

• The ability to make parts of the profile hidden or filtering who sees what
• The ability to have location visible to friends 24/7 and
• The ability to video chat with strangers or friends

Level 3: Be vocal about what is acceptable in your household.  Discuss topics like:

• the display of personal information
• account profiles being public or private
• the boundaries of picture taking and
• location sharing.

Level 4: Be aware of how information can be hidden. This could include:

• Manually hiding apps in the settings of iPhones and Androids. With a quick google search, there are many videos that will show you how it’s done.
• Making apps less noticeable by creating app folders
• Downloading fake apps to be a disguise for photos or different apps

Level 5: Be aware of ways you monitor activity. To accomplish this you can:

• Simply ask to look at your teen’s social media profiles
• Ask what app’s they have accounts with
• Use apps to monitor activity like SecureTeen, Net Nanny, and TeenSafe [2]
• Use the same iCloud or phone account to see previous purchases, subscriptions, and downloads

[1] https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/01/17/generation-z-looks-a-lot-like-millennials-on-key-social-and-political-issues/

[2] https://www.today.com/parents/these-3-apps-can-help-you-monitor-your-teens-activities-t105483

Posted by: Akiliah Walker, Marketing and Communications Intern