What picture comes to mind when you hear the word doctor? It’s likely you picture the doctor most likely to know your name, and the one you see regularly before you have a hint there’s anything wrong.
Dr. Maureen Cobabe is a primary care physician with Intermountain Health because she likes keeping people healthy.
“You do it because you love it. And I think most of us really do, do love our jobs,” she said.
As a primary care physician, Dr. Cobabe enjoys the relationship she builds with her patients through regular visits.
“To be able to stop things early. Stop the things that really impact people's ability to live their life, enjoy their life, continue to spend time with their families and their jobs,” said Cobabe.
The problem? Men don't see their doctor as much as women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at it this way:
Take 100 American women and 100 American men, all adults.
The 100 women would see a doctor a combined 308 times. An average of three times each.
The 100 men would visit 224 times...closer to twice each.
And the real story is more troubling. More than half of men get no regular health screenings at all, avoiding tough questions and the reality they may reveal.
“So we're open to questions in primary care. But I think that maybe sometimes men aren't don't feel comfortable asking,” said Cobabe.
Researchers have found men avoid care far more than women, and that can turn a treatable condition into a crisis. A younger man screened for high blood pressure and cholesterol may prevent heart attacks or strokes. A middle aged man may learn they had colon cancer after the offending cells are already removed during a screening.
Cobabe said, “It can be really disappointing and sometimes devastating to find out that a bunch of things have happened to a person that may have been preventable.”
There are medical solutions to so many problems that are deadly or disabling if unresolved. The most important thing is to find a primary care doctor and make an appointment. Unfortunately getting into a doctor can take some time. Find a doctor and make your appointment now so you are able to catch things before it’s too late.
Intermountain offers a simple online search tool to make it easy to find a doctor. Click hereto to find a provider near you.
