If you have a fever, muscle aches or other flu-like symptoms, you may in fact have the flu.A severe cough that lingers more than two weeks may indicate whooping cough, while sustained congestion can lead to a sinus infection if left untreated.It’s not always easy to know when to go to the doctor for a cold if yours doesn’t pass or even worsens, seek professional help. A more serious infection could be at play. However, if you have a fever above 103˚ Fahrenheit (39.4˚ Celsius) or a fever that lasts more than three days, you should call your doctor. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive above all, go with your gut-if instinct tells you something is wrong, it’s a good idea to seek medical attention.Ī fever is one way your body naturally fights infection. Read on for 10 telltale signs it’s time to go see the doctor-including when your cough is bad enough to merit a visit. Whatever your situation, remember that for many conditions early detection can lead to better outcomes. In fact, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common reason for illness-related doctor’s visits in 2012 was a cough. Despite what you may tell yourself, major symptoms and incidents aren’t the only reasons to go see the doctor. “The number of patients I see during the day is decreasing,” he said.Should I see a doctor? It’s a question many people ask. The results prompted the AMA to issue a statement in the Annals of Internal Medicine noting that for every hour physicians were spending with patients, they were spending two hours on electronic records and other administrative tasks.īlair said all of these factors are producing a simple result. The American Medical Association (AMA) found similar percentages in a survey it did last fall. In addition, 55 percent said the electronic records reduced efficiency, and 59 percent said they reduced patient interaction. In another survey done last year by Merritt Hawkins, researchers discovered that 33 percent of doctors felt electronic records reduced the quality of care they give to patients. Mosley added that the growth in the number of people over the age of 55 is also increasing demand.īoth experts agreed that the introduction of electronic health records is also limiting the time doctors can spend with patients. “As the economy has turned around, we have been seeing a lot more people who want care,” Blair said. That is creating higher demand at doctors’ offices. He told Healthline that more people have health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the uptick in the economy the past few years. Mott Blair, a family physician in North Carolina, and a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said the increase in the number of patients is also exacerbating the problem. “The fact of the matter is we simply don’t have enough doctors,” Mosley told Healthline.ĭr. He noted this is particularly true in Boston, which had the highest average wait time with 52 days. Kurt Mosley, vice president of strategic alliances for Merritt Hawkins, said the current and pending shortage of doctors is a prime cause of the increase. One of the main reasons for the increase in wait times is the simple law of supply and demand. Read more: Temporary doctors are on the rise » In midsize regions, 81 percent of doctors accept Medicare patients, while 60 percent accept Medicaid patients. In metro areas, they found that 85 percent accept Medicare patients and 53 percent accept patients covered by Medicaid. The researchers also queried doctors on Medicare and Medicaid. “The challenge becomes even more difficult in smaller communities that have fewer physicians per population.” “Finding a physician who can see you today, or three weeks from today, can be a challenge, even in large urban areas where there is a relatively robust supply of doctors,” Mark Smith, president of Merritt Hawkins, said in a press release. That’s 33 percent higher than metro regions. The average wait time in those more rural areas was 32 days. Merritt Hawkins also did a similar survey in 15 midsize regions with populations from 90,000 to 140,000, and found wait times a little longer. That compares with 18 days in 2014, 20 days in 2009, and 21 days in 2004. Researchers said the survey showed that the wait time for a new patient-physician appointment has risen to an average of 24 days. The doctors were from five medical specialties: family medicine, cardiology, dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology, and orthopedic surgery. The Merritt Hawkins researchers received responses from 1,414 physicians in 15 metropolitan areas in the United States. The 2017 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times was conducted by Merritt Hawkins, a healthcare consulting company.
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