Looking for a new family doctor but not sure where to start?

Whether you’re moving to a new city or simply looking for a physician with a different style of care, changing family doctors can be an overwhelming process. Having confidence in the care provider that’s guiding your health journey is important. In order to make this transition easier, we’ve compiled some tips on how to find your new physician and set you both up for success.

Get Checked and Plan Ahead

Before you make the move to a new family doctor, try to schedule a final appointment with your current physician. At this visit, discuss current and ongoing medical conditions, ask for updates on outstanding referrals, record the dates of previous preventative health tests (eg: any colonoscopies, PAP tests, mammograms, FIT testings, your last complete physical, etc). You should also consider asking for a printed copy of your immunization record (flu vaccines, tetanus vaccines, travel vaccines, etc) along with copies of any recent blood work. In order to avoid going without necessary medications, you might want to consider asking your current physician to renew your prescriptions as it may be some time before you are able to schedule an appointment with your new doctor.

Track Down Your Paperwork

As a patient, know that you can ask for a copy of your medical record. You may make this request verbally or the office may require the request to be submitted in writing. The records may be printed copies or transferred to a disc and there may be a fee associated with this service. Since it may require time to prepare the record, try making this request in advance of your first appointment.

Remember Your Prescriptions

If you’re moving to a new city, don’t forget about your prescriptions! Those frantic calls to the doctor as you realize you’ve only a few more pills left to get through the week are never fun. Get ahead of things by transferring your prescription to your new city in advance. Choose a pharmacy close to your home for convenience and speak to your pharmacist about transferring your prescriptions. It’s helpful to have the name, address, telephone and fax number of the new pharmacy on hand. Please note, if your prescriptions include narcotics or controlled substances these cannot be transferred between pharmacies in Ontario – you’ll need to take these prescriptions directly to the new pharmacy to be dispensed.

Finding Your New Doctor

So you’ve already tracked down your new hood’s nearest new cafe and decided what art to hang in your future living room. But how do you find a family doctor that’s accepting new patients?

As daunting as it might be, it’s important to start this search as soon as you find a new place to live. Finding a new physician can take weeks or even months. Many provinces have government portals in place to help with your search such as Alberta’s Find A Doctor or Ontario’s Health Care Connect Service. Another option is to access the Regulatory College of Physicians and Surgeons website for your province and use the “Find a Doctor” search. You may also wish to call the local Chamber of Commerce in your city, which will often have a very up to date list of doctors, clinics and nurse practitioners who are accepting new patients.

Preparing to Meet Your New Physician

Once you’ve located a family physician who is accepting new patients, schedule a “new patient appointment”. It may be helpful to provide a copy of your medical record to the new office prior to your appointment so the doctor can review your chart. It’s a good idea to schedule this first meeting when you are well and not sick or hurt. This will give your new doctor time to cover your full scope of health concerns.

At this appointment, ask about the clinic policies regarding booking appointments, walk-in clinics, missed/late appointments and follow-up to testing (will the doctor call regarding all results or only call when results are abnormal?). That way there’s less chance of surprises or miscommunications along your health journey.

Life can be filled with uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity – right down to figuring out who does your check-up. If you are experiencing overwhelming feelings of stress, worry or sadness along this journey, reach out to Inkblot Therapy for help.