MADISON, Wis. — As the coronavirus continues on, UW Health officials are urging the public to stay in contact with their primary care physician.
Maintaining a relationship with a primary care physician can help patients navigate the complexities of healthcare and monitor changes in health overtime, according to Kirsten Rindfleisch, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and physician site lead at Wingra Family Medical Center.
“It’s enormously beneficial,” Rindfleisch said. “When things change ‒ case-in-point, COVID-19 ‒ having a good partnership with your primary care provider helps guide you in how to keep yourself healthy and cope with illness.”
While the onset of the pandemic caused disruptions for many patients, many healthcare providers have used the pandemic to find new ways to get patients in contact with their physicians.
UW Health recommends that patients call their clinic or make an appointment online to get in contact with their physician during the pandemic.
“Sometimes I hear from patients who’ve been assuming that clinics are closed or that providers and staff are too busy taking care of COVID patients to provide the usual services in clinic, but that’s absolutely not the case,” Rindfleisch said. “The doctors and nurses you know and trust in primary care are available and ready to give you and your family the care you need right now.”
COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
