At my annual check-up appointment with my urologist a few weeks ago, it just happened to come up in conversation with him during the exam that I had been seeing him regularly for twelve years now.
We both just sort of stopped, thought about
it for a second, and then both of us said, at about
the same moment, "Has it really been that long?"
Well, indeed it had. From the time in July 2011 when I had to go to the ER due to severe urinary retention, and he was the uro on call that night, and then did a TURP on me a couple of weeks later, followed by his great help in arranging with colleagues to get IMRT scheduled for me, I had been with him for the past twelve years. And he has done a great job for me for all that time.
I later wondered if that amount of time with the same doctor was typical, and what the advantages of such a long-term relationship might be.
So a little research turned up a number of articles on the topic, and some comments on the benefits of seeing the same doctor over the years.
Comments from the first article linked below:
" ... 82% of people have had an ongoing relationship with their doctor, and among those, the average relationship lasted more than nine years. This was second only to the average long-term relationship with a significant other (18.3 years)."
“Honesty is key, just like between a married couple ... If you have an argument with your spouse or something stressed you out at work, and you come into (the doctor's) office and your blood pressure is high, it’s important that (the doctor) know those details. That conversation comes from years of trust.”
" ... more patients feel comfortable discussing mental health (72% vs. 41%), embarrassing symptoms (70% vs. 40%) and family history (74% vs. 49%) with a long-term doctor, compared to one they just started seeing."
" ... four out of five people are likelier to take advice from a doctor they know than one they just met."
"Although a long-term relationship is beneficial for both parties involved, the study revealed that Americans find that maintaining a medical relationship with a doctor is challenging. In fact, 41% of respondents felt it was more difficult to maintain a long-term relationship with one doctor than with one romantic partner."
" ... doctors should emphasize the three A’s with their patients: availability, accessibility and affability."And perhaps the most important reason for a long-term relationship with a doctor:
"Long-term doctor-patient relationships also allow doctors to better understand their patients’ current medical conditions and help more accurately diagnose new ones. A patient’s medical history is essentially a long story with new chapters added at every turn in life. It is much easier for a doctor to add to a story they already know, rather than starting from page one."But also
“The establishment of a long-term relationship with a patient allows the doctor to better understand the overall goals of the patient ... For example, certain cancer treatments might be associated with side effects that would be particularly concerning for an individual, such as even mild numbness or tingling in the fingers, for one who plays a musical instrument." As one doctor put it
“As a family doctor, I have known most of my patients for years—I know their health history, but I also know personal details such as when their first grandchild was born, when they got a new job or bought a new house”She then went on to say how much easier this ongoing familiarity makes the discussion of serious medical matters with such long-term patients.
There are even articles that claim that staying with the same doctor over a long period can result in a longer lifespan.
From second link below:
"We can hypothesize why there is an association ... There is evidence that as patients are more satisfied with their doctor they are more likely to take their advice on screening for instance, such as pap smears for women, or with treatment like taking statins if they are recommended.”
"These findings do make sense with what we know about the benefits of continuity of care. For the doctor, they get to know their patient as a person rather than just the condition they have. Doctors that see the same patient over time have a better sense of the patient’s values and preferences, as well as complexities around the treatment plan and the social situation.” Maybe it's something we don't think about
all that much, but perhaps "continuity of care" with the same doctor does play a significant role in how good a job our doctor does for us, if we have indeed known him/her for a while.
However, additional reading noted some of the factors working against maintaining long-term relationships with doctors, such as the doctor retiring, the patient's job moving him away, the patient's insurance requiring him to change to a new plan and doctor, among others.
But it seems there is indeed evidence that staying with the same doctor for the long haul may be one of the better approaches for maximizing the benefit one gets from seeking medical assistance.
https://www.zocdoc.com/resources/blog/article/secrets-long-term-doctor-patient-relationships/https://abcnews.go.com/health/sticking-doctor-lead-longer-life/story?id=56239973(P.S. If you would like, post below how long you have been seeing your own doctor(s), and if you think it has resulted in extra benefits from that long association).