Disclaimer: This Inside South Florida segment is sponsored by WellMed and Optum. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of WSFL-TV.
In a recent interview on Inside South Florida, family medicine specialist, Dr. Audrey Baria, shed light on a prevalent issue in healthcare today: the trend of patients bypassing their primary care physicians and seeking out specialists directly. Dr. Baria emphasized that while seeking specialist care isn't inherently problematic, the lack of coordination in patient care can lead to complications.
"The coordination of care is missing if the patient goes straight to the specialist, instead of discussing it first with the primary care physician," Dr. Baria stated. She illustrated this point with a case study where a patient received duplicate prescriptions from both a specialist and herself, highlighting the dangers of disjointed care.
Apart from the coordination challenge, Dr. Baria pointed out common mistakes patients make when choosing medical specialists. "One of the most common mistakes that people make is to discuss with their friends and families the specialist that they're seeing," she explained. She stressed the importance of involving the primary care physician in the decision-making process to ensure proper coordination and insurance coverage.
Regarding the timing for seeking specialist care, Dr. Baria advised, "When they have a chronic disease or a new diagnosis would be a great time to have that conversation with your primary care physician to see if a specialist is needed, and which one they should see." She shared a personal experience where quick action was crucial in referring a patient to a cardiologist based on urgent test results.
For those seeking further information, Dr. Baria recommended visiting CareWithResults.com, a valuable resource for exploring topics related to specialist care and coordination.
