How do expats find a PCP?

[attrayant]

Back home I would go to my insurance provider's web site and pick from a list of approved doctors, but I understand that's not how it works here. So how does it work? Word of mouth? Walk in to a hospital and take a number?

I've been here four years and thankfully sickness-free if you don't count the occasional case of the Hershey Squirts from eating the street food. But I have a minor chronic condition that I need to be more attentive to as I get on into my fifties. That means finding a GP and getting my files and history sent to him from the US.

I'm in upper Bangkok quite close to Central General Hospital if that helps.

Edited May 14, 2015 by attrayant

[Sheryl]

Unfortunately health care in Thailand is quite specialized and GPs are both not that many and usually not that good. In addition, they will usually only refer you to specialists in the same hospital, if they refer at all. (Thai doctors tend in my experience ot under-refer: maybe a "loss of face" thing).

I don't know what type of chronic condition you have but finding a good specialist for that might be one approach.

Another good approach is to have an annual physical check-up, which will include a review by an internist. The ones at Samitivej in my experience are the most diligent/thorough.

Beyond that, one pretty much has to know what type of specialist is needed for a specific problem and seek them out.

[attrayant]

I don't know what type of chronic condition you have but finding a good specialist for that might be one approach.

It's just GERD, which is mild and manageable with omeprazole. I used to get an upper GI every two years just to watch for potential complications like Barrett's and anything else. So my GP in the USA probably has quite a file on me, full of color photos of my upper alimentary canal and I'm sure a lot of useful medical data, which I'd like to get moved over here.

Another good approach is to have an annual physical check-up, which will include a review by an internist. The ones at Samitivej in my experience are the most diligent/thorough.

So I can walk into a hospital and ask for a physical/checkup and they'll find the right doctor for me?

If GPs aren't popular, what happens to a patient's medical records over time? What if the doctor I see this year isn't the same one I saw last year? How is any kind of continuity maintained?

[Sheryl]

You can walk into any hospital and request a check-up (there will be a range of packages/options to choose from) and the results be reviewed by one of the doctors assigned to the check-up dept on that day. Whether this will be the "right doctor" for you is anyone's guess. Use your own judgement - if the review seems cursory, if explanations for abnormal results are not given or don't make sense to you, then consult someone else. If you find a doctor you liked, make a note of their name so you can request them the following year.

For specific problems (as opposed to a routine check-up) -- never trust a hospital to find the best doctor for you. Do your own research and carefully pre-select. Most of the larger hospitals have search functions showing CVs of doctors by specialty. You can also do a search in this forum, or post an inquery, to find specialists others recommend.

Virtually all hospitals have computerized record-keeping so your full medical record will be available to any doctor in that same hospital who sees you. However, in my experience Thai doctors are not very good about routinely reviewing histories so it is essential that you take the initiative in informing the doctor of any relevant history. And, of course, if you see a doctor at a different hospital, they won't have access to information on treatment/tests done elsewhere unless you provide a copy.

It is importnat to take an active role in your own health care anyplace, but especially so in Thailand.

Regarding your GERD, these are 2 very good GI specialists, both US trained and board certified, and holding faculty positions at a leading medical school:

Dr. Varocha Mahachai - at Bangkok Hospital, BNH Hospital and also at the RSU health clinic https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/doctors/?DrID=812

https://www.bnhhospital.com/en/find_doctor/detail/119

https://www.bnhhospital.com/en/find_doctor/detail/119

Dr. Prof. Rungsan Rerknimitr - at Bangkok Hospital https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/doctors/?DrID=761 (He's probably also somewhere else but I can't find the info)

[chubby]

I just use an internist as my "GP"/ PCP ; sounds like you can do that ?

[attrayant]

I never heard the term "internist" until this thread. It sounded kinda sketchy - like an intern (freshly graduated, no experience & just beginning to learn the ropes). But I think it's just another name for a general practitioner.

I went to Central General to see about that physical but I came at the wrong time. Need to come in between 7 am - 3 pm, so I'll try again next weekend. According to their web site, they have a gastroscopy/colonoscopy center, so they appear to be equipped to handle GERD complications if they ever arise.

Amazingly, they also have a dental unit. Do all hospitals here have such a thing?

[Sheryl]

An internist is a specialist in internal medicine ...what used to be called a GP.

Yes, virtually all hospitals in Thailand have dental depts. Even small district level ones. Hospitals in Thailand double as general outpatient clinics, medical and dental.