When Should You Visit a Family Doctor?

It can be difficult to understand the importance of visiting a family doctor when no one in your family is sick or showing any unusual symptoms. However, the odds don’t always play out in your favor, and in this case your best option is to play it safe. At Bluestem Health, we know a thing or two about when you should come visit a family doctor who can catch potential health issues. In the end, this will save you money and give you peace of mind.

How Frequent Should You Get a Check Up?

Throughout the medical community there are varying opinions of when you should visit your family doctor. We encourage our patients to follow these generally recommended checkups:

• Once every three years if you’re under the age of 50, and in good health
• Once a year after you turn 50

Depending on your age, there are different symptoms you could be showing.Here are some topics that you should discuss with your family doctor:

• Ages 30 or younger and healthy
  • Disease prevention and healthy lifestyles
  • Women should consider regular cervical cancer screening

• Ages 30-40
  • Annual physical
  • Common diseases, like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension
  • Regular breast cancer screening for women over 40
• Ages 50+
  • Annual physicals (more important now)
  • Colonoscopies for both men and women
  • Women 50+ should consider regular mammograms
  • People 65+ discuss the benefits of receiving pneumococcal vaccines and regular influenza vaccines

Patients who have an established history with a family doctor are more likely to stay up to date on medical information that can often change as new studies and treatments are being discovered.

Benefits of Regular Visits with Your Family Doctor?

Taking the time to schedule regular checkups with your family doctor comes with many benefits. At Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska, one benefit is that we have five locations that offer differing medical specialties. Here are some other benefits you should consider:

• Potentially finding threatening health issues early before they cause a problem
• By monitoring existing health issues, your risk of worsening symptoms or complications decreases
• Staying up to date on screening tests and vaccinations

How To Prepare For Your Checkup

If you haven’t been to a family doctor recently, it’s okay to be confused on what or what not to bring. Here are some suggestions on how to prepare for your checkup:

• If you’re going to a new family doctor, gather your medical information, including your insurance card, old records, and vaccination history.
• Create a list of what’s changed in terms of your medical, surgical, and lifestyle histories since your last visit.
• Let your family doctor’s office know if you require any special needs, such as an interpreter. At Bluestem Health, we provide on-site, full-time interpreters that speak many different languages.

Bluestem Health provides care to a diverse population and encourages our staff to provide culturally competent services for patients, as much as possible.

What To Look For In A Family Doctor?

According to the Duke Center of Personalized Care, the doctor-patient relationship is a foundation of clinical care. Doctor-patient relationships can have profound positive and negative implications on clinical care. At Bluestem Health, we encourage everyone to consider scheduling your next appointment with a family doctor. Now, more than ever, it is in the best interest of your health to have a trusted, skilled, and established connection with a family doctor in your community.

If you want to live a long, healthy life and have the peace of mind of knowing you are in the care of a skilled, trustworthy family medicine doctor near you, contact our Bluestem Health family doctors located in Lincoln, NE. They are highly experienced in the science of medicine and art of compassionate care. Check out our newest Bluestem Health family medicine clinic by scheduling a time at our Piedmont Clinic located at 1500 S. 48th St, Suite 412, Lincoln, NE 68506. Call 402-441-6642.