Changing Acuity of Female Patients: PCP to OBGYN ?

The Female Patient Care Panorama

This article is to throw light on the transforming views of female patients on their healthcare provider preferences. The changing acuity of women in their healthcare and disease management is driven by the fact that most of them could adjudicate the relevancy of their health conditions with the medical specialty.

Through the shoutouts of our clients from various Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBG) medical practices across the country, we could realize that OBG practitioners are especially overtaxed by female patients – as they are forced to extend their specialty clinical practice to the general practice.

‘Getting two diamonds from one diamond ore’ is a fortune. Right?  

In line with that, female patients deem that they have a double advantage in visiting obstetrics and gynecology practitioners. They could get the remedy for both generalized and OBG-specific ailments and healthcare issues.

The Intervening Conflicts

Despite the shout-outs about women’s OBG migration, there are some controversies.

According to Lucy Hornstein, a primary care physician, “There’s lot more to women than lady parts”

“OBGs are not Primary Care Physicians (PCPs), as they are surgeons. Primary care for women is beyond pap tests and mammograms. Certainly, the OBGs check blood pressures and, order pathological and imaging studies. But, they don’t diagnose or treat hypertension, hyperlipidemia, thyroid disease, or diabetes.” – She said.

She added that – “I can’t carry out a c-section or a hysterectomy, and I am glad about the acquaintance and dexterity of my OBG colleagues who perform those procedures.” 

Besides, she underscored that there are doctors like her who carry out office gynecology – thereby proffering real primary care for women.

Will there be Patients Exodus to OBG Practices ?

In olden days, only the family physicians would forward their patients to the specialty practitioners whenever necessary. But today, patients are directly approaching the specialty practitioners – especially the OBGs – in a view of getting comprehensive and specialized remedy.

Though debates exist, there is nothing like a cold war between PCPs and OBGs in this regard. Indeed, PCPs are becoming well-groomed with their embellishing OBG knowledge.

On the other edge, the women are progressively more exposed to think about the significance of medical specialties in healthcare and also OBGs are developing their general practice proficiency in harmony with the female patients’ expectations.

Nevertheless, patient awareness about OBG specialty could be a solid driving factor for the PCPs to become the runner-up for female patient care.

But still, a detailed study is warranted to prove this notion and elucidate the rationales behind the migration of female patients from PCPs to OBG practitioners.