Published on : 23 April 20203 min reading time

For a better efficiency in the management of the various services provided by medical staff for the care of a patient, it is necessary to choose a treating physician. What is more, this also makes it possible to lighten, to a certain extent, all the procedural rules required in the case of coverage of medical expenses by the social security system.

As the treating doctor is the first contact for a patient

In any case, it goes without saying that “choosing a treating physician” is an obligation on the part of a patient for better coordination of a care pathway. In any case, it is important to know that any physician registered with the Council of the Order of Physicians can be chosen as a treating physician. Of course, in an impartial and unequivocal manner, it is important to stress that all categories of doctors, without any exception, can be freely chosen in this sense. In other words, whether he or she is a general practitioner or a specialist doctor and whether he or she works in a health centre or otherwise, it does not matter, he or she can always act as a general practitioner for the patient he or she has treated. Moreover, it is the attending physician who is the first caregiver to contact in the event of a medical emergency.

The attending physician must be declared to the health insurance fund.

If necessary, he may redirect some of his protected persons with a serious chronic illness to an appropriate specialist for the continuity of their care according to their specific needs. This is, above all, the reason why an attending physician must be declared to the Health Insurance Fund. Indeed, it is he who guarantees the follow-up of his patients’ state of health throughout their care. Moreover, by supervising his patients’ health problems, he can also participate in the organisation of preventive intervention for the benefit of his patients later on. This highlights one of the objectives of a Mutual Health Insurance Company in the context of its missions towards its members.

The attending physician centralizes all medical files

Moreover, in the event that his patients have to take care of themselves on a long-term basis as a result of a long-term illness, he is obliged to draw up the relevant care protocol. He is obliged to update the medical record of his patients while centralizing all observations of other caregivers, if necessary. In short, it is not always advisable to change a treating physician at any time for better continuity of treatment for a patient. Moreover, a responsible mutual health insurance company constantly reminds its audience of the importance of coordinating a general practitioner in order to guarantee better coverage of its members’ pharmaceutical expenses in the event of illness.