Establishing a long-term relationship with a primary care physician is one of the most important decisions you can make that help will steer your health in the right direction.
However, primary care isn’t a monolithic form of care, as the field essentially has variations. Learning about the different types of primary care physicians can help you choose the most suitable one for you based on your age group and specific situation.
Below is an outline of the different kinds of primary care physicians and how concierge medicine physician, Dr. Robert Lending in Tuscon, AZ, fits into the picture.
Family Medicine Physician
A family medicine doctor provides care for patients across all groups: newborns, infants, toddlers, schoolchildren, adolescents, adults, and seniors. In addition to providing treatment for medical conditions, family physicians offer a vast range of healthcare services, which include nutrition counseling, early pregnancy care, immunizations, screening tests, and wellness checkups.
To manage complex or chronic conditions, family medicine doctors coordinate their patients’ care with specialists, such as psychiatrists, cardiologists, and orthopedic surgeons.
Internal Medicine Physician
An internal medicine doctor performs many of the same functions as does a family medicine doctor. The difference is that internists focus on providing care for adult patients. They usually do not treat children, unless they specialize in internal medicine-pediatrics (med-peds).
Additionally, internal medicine physicians take an extra year of subspecialty training, which fully equips them to provide specialized care for patients living with chronic or complex conditions. For instance, lipidologists provide expert care for people who have high cholesterol problems.
Geriatrician
Geriatricians focus on the medical needs of senior adults. If you have a parent or loved one who is living with dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, respiratory disease, multiple chronic conditions, or any other health problem associated with advancing age, working with a geriatrician is central to ensuring they get the best care possible.
Geriatricians provide care for patients in various settings: in assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, and hospices.
Pediatrician
Pediatricians have advanced knowledge and training to diagnose and treat the full spectrum of conditions affecting children. Pediatricians are fully cognizant of the fact that children are different from adults in many ways. Children cannot always articulate their symptoms, and their bodies are still developing and fragile. Thus, a pediatrician devises age-appropriate solutions that fully consider the child’s specific developmental needs.
Pediatricians have a unique, reassuring way of communicating with children, which makes them calm and comfortable during their treatment.
Concierge Internal Medicine Physician in Tucson, AZ
Dr. Robert E. Lending is a highly knowledgeable, compassionate, well-respected internal medicine physician who has spent his entire career providing the highest quality of medical care for adult patients in Tucson, Arizona, and all of its neighboring areas.
With concierge medicine, he takes this commitment a step further—putting his patients first by giving them round-the-clock access to his highly personalized and comprehensive care.
Give our friendly staff a call at (520) 795-4291, or you may fill out this form to request an appointment with Dr. Lending.
