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HEALTH CARE FACT SHEET
Developing An Ongoing Relationship
With Your Physician
Issue Statement
One of the big reasons for the dramatic rise in health care costs in recent years is
the mis-utilization of medical services. When people go to the emergency room
for non-emergency care, they use the valuable time of a specialist trained for
acute care, and there is little opportunity for follow-up. And medical errors can
occur due to miscommunication between patient and provider. Having an
ongoing relationship with a primary care physician can help ensure the most
appropriate care and treatment to keep you healthy, and can help keep health
care affordable.
Key facts, national statistics

Research has shown that patients who have good relationships with their
doctors tend to be more satisfied with their care – and have better results
from the care they receive. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

Preventable health care-related errors cost the health care system between
$8.5 billion and $14.5 billion annually. Many errors are due to
miscommunication between doctors and patients. (Institute of Medicine, “To
Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System,” 1999.)

There were 11.5 million emergency room visits nationally in 2000 – 10.7
percent of these E.R. visits were not emergencies. (National Center for
Health Statistics, “National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Survey: 2000,” April
2002.)

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An average visit to an emergency room costs $383. (New England Journal of
Medicine, “The Costs of Visits to Emergency Departments,” 1996.) An
average visit to a physician’s office costs $60. (American Medical Association,
“Physician Socioeconomic Statistics,” 2001.)
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
The U.S. has experienced outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in
recent years. The primary cause for the 1989-1991 outbreak of measles and
other vaccine-preventable diseases was not a failure to vaccinate, but a
failure to deliver the vaccines at the recommended ages. (Every Child By
Two)

It is estimated that the 1989-1991 measles outbreak cost more than $100
million in health care expenses. (Every Child By Two)

For every $1 spent on the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, more than $21 is
saved in health care costs; for every $1 spent on the diphtheria-tetanusacellular pertussis vaccine, more than $30 is saved; for every $1 spent on the
Polio vaccine, more than $6 is saved. (Every Child by Two)

Only 76 percent of children 19 to 35 months were fully immunized. (Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, “National Immunization Survey,” 2000.)
Statements from key facts

Talk with your doctor about your family’s health history. Tell him or her any
information you think is important to know, even personal information that
may be difficult to share.

Write down your questions before you see your doctor.

Ask your doctor about health information you find on the Internet.

Tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, including alternative
medications such as herbal and homeopathic treatments.

Make sure you understand what your doctor is telling you – ask questions,
take notes, arrange for a private conference with your doctor if you need
additional information or have further questions.

Ask for brochures or additional information regarding topics that are important
to your health. Many local libraries are a good source of information as well.

Maintain an open line of communication with your physician, following up if
you don’t hear from him/her.

Keep a good record of your child’s immunizations, making sure they are given
at the right time, with booster shots given at appropriate intervals.
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Editorial copy
What’s your doctor’s name? Too many Americans can’t answer that question
because they don’t have an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician.
Not knowing your doctor can be bad for your health, and it can contribute to the
rising cost of health care. One of the major reasons health care costs are
increasing is that millions of Americans each year use emergency rooms for
routine medical care instead of visiting their primary care physicians. Last year
there were about 10 million visits to emergency rooms for non-emergency care.
The average emergency room visit costs $383, while an average visit to a
physician’s office costs only $60. Unnecessary E.R. visits can delay care for
people with true emergencies, and cost all of us billions of dollars.
An ongoing relationship with your child’s doctor will help ensure you don’t miss
important immunizations that protect children from disease. Only 76 percent of
children 19 to 35 months in the U.S. are fully immunized , and levels in some
areas of the country are as low as 10 percent. For every dollar spent on a
vaccine, $21 to $30 is saved in health care costs for treating such diseases as
mumps, measles, rubella, and polio.
As modern medicine becomes ever more complicated, having an ongoing
relationship with a personal physician is the best way to make sure you get the
care that’s right for you. In fact, poor communication between doctors and
patients can result in health care-related errors. These preventable errors cost us
all nearly $15 billion each year.
One of the best ways to reduce health care costs is to know your doctor and
make sure he or she knows you. Share your medical history and ask about
preventive measures you can take to avoid illness or manage diseases. Keep
track of your child’s immunizations. Let your doctor know about all medications
you’re taking, even over-the-counter medicines and herbal remedies. Having an
ongoing relationship with a primary care physician can help keep health care
affordable for everyone, and help keep you healthy as well. Visit
www.bcbstx.com for more information about keeping health care affordable.
Marketing tie-ins

National Men’s Health Week: June 9-15, 2003

Healthy Babies Month: October
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
Child Health Month: October

Wise Health Consumer Month: February

National Infant Immunization Week: April

Women’s Health Week: May
Links to other existing programs and sources
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association: www.bcbs.com
American Academy of Family Physicians: www.familydoctor.org
American College of Physicians/American Society of Internal Medicine:
www.acponline.org
American Medical Association: www.ama-assn.org
American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org
National Center for Health Statistics: www.cdc.gov/nchs
Every Child by Two: www.ecbt.org
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