{"id":595561,"date":"2026-08-17T02:04:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T02:04:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/595561\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T02:04:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T02:04:40","slug":"5-ways-your-primary-care-doctor-keeps-you-healthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/595561\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways Your Primary Care Doctor Keeps You Healthy"},"content":{"rendered":"

5. She stays on top of screenings\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even a doctor needs a doctor, and McBride is no exception. It took a bit of trial and error to find a physician she liked, but they\u2019ve developed trust, which is key for good health.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a real partner with her,\u201d she says. \u201cI pretend I\u2019m not a doctor when I see her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

McBride makes sure she is prompt with screenings<\/a> and vaccines. Her doctor asks good questions, keeps her informed about her health recommendations and treats her like more than a lab test \u2014 something McBride values.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To find a great primary care doctor<\/a>, pay attention to the their interpersonal skills. Also, see how the doctor reacts when they don\u2019t know something. If they don\u2019t have the answer, what matters is that they follow up and get it, McBride says. Realize that they probably don\u2019t have a ton of time to interact with you, which is a result of the system, not the doctor, McBride says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Front<\/p>\n

Beyond the Prescription: A Doctor’s Guide to Taking Charge of Your Health by Lucy McBride<\/p>\n

Lucy McBride<\/p>\n

Advice for taking charge of your health\u00a0<\/p>\n

McBride\u2019s book delves into topics including how to understand health data, healthy eating, dealing with injuries, caring for your brain and prioritizing mental health.\u00a0<\/p>\n

People largely don\u2019t know what\u2019s possible when they have a doctor who understands their health beyond what lab tests show. \u201cMost Americans haven’t been given access to a physician who has time to think about the invisible, unmeasurable elements of health and how they play a role in your everyday life, like your childhood, your upbringing \u2026 how they inform your relationship with food, your relationship with alcohol, your relationship with work \u2026 your tolerance for risk, your stress, your anxiety, your mood,\u201d she explains.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

She encourages readers \u2014 and patients \u2014 to map their health ecosystem. \u201cIt\u2019s much more nuanced than just a set of lab tests,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another way to be more empowered at the doctor\u2019s is to understand your \u201cpatient personality,\u201d which means knowing what version of yourself you bring to the visit. You may just want a prescription or the doctor to interpret tests. Some people want permission to try a new treatment but instead ask about risks and benefits. When you are aware of your patient personality, \u201cyou stop bumping up against the same frustrations and start working with your natural tendencies instead of against them,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ask your doctor\u00a0<\/p>\n

In her book, McBride gives lists of questions to ask your doctor. Here are a few standouts:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Could you help me understand what this test result means in the context of my health situation and risk factors?\u00a0Which intervention is the most important for me to start right away, and what data do we expect will change?\u00a0How significant is the change in my numbers from last time?\u00a0\u00a0What do you suggest I eat in a day?\u00a0Which supplements and vitamins do I absolutely need? Which ones might do harm?\u00a0What warning sights should I watch for that would indicate that I need to modify my activity?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"5. She stays on top of screenings\u00a0 Even a doctor needs a doctor, and McBride is no exception.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":595562,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[252162,103,397,396,75211,61,60,252165,252166,252163,252164],"class_list":["post-595561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-doctor-self-care-habits","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare","tag-healthy-sleep-habits","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-patient-empowerment-guide","tag-physical-and-mental-well-being","tag-preventive-care-for-older-adults","tag-simple-daily-health-routines"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595561\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}