Frequently Asked Questions

Primary care physicians (PCPs) are similar to coaches, directing and coordinating all aspects of your health care – physical, emotional and mental. They listen to your questions, assess symptoms, recommend treatment approaches, prescribe medication and refer you to the proper specialists when needed. Family Practice PCP’s can see both children and adults while Internal Medicine doctors, or “internists” focus on the treatment and care of adults, including their complex clinical diagnosis, treatment and care across the spectrum from health and wellness to complex illness. Whether you elect a family practice PCP or an internist, it is important to identify one physician to coordinate your care!

It’s important to have a primary care physician. They get to know you, your history and your family health history. Building a long-term relationship with your PCP can translate to major health benefits over your lifetime, such as lower overall health costs, a decrease in hospital and ER visits, and better management of chronic diseases.

Your primary care physician can identify health issues in their early stages before they become major problems. They offer preventive care such as immunizations, necessary imaging & lab testing, such as cholesterol and cancer screenings, as well as diet and lifestyle advice to maintain or improve your health.

It’s vitally important to be open and honest with your physician regarding what’s going on with your health. Don’t hold back if something is bothering you, even if you think it may be embarrassing.

• Are you experiencing painful or uncomfortable symptoms that interfere with your daily life?
• Is a medication you’re taking making you feel sick?
• Do you need help with making healthy decisions or lifestyle choices?
• Are you having problems sleeping?
• Are you experiencing loss of sex drive or erectile dysfunction?
• Are you experiencing stress, depression or sadness?

All of these factors can impact your health.

Anything you discuss with your provider is considered privileged and will remain with your provider unless you give us permission to share it. You control with whom your information is shared. If a member of your family calls for updates on your condition and you wish them to have access, you will need to make sure to add them to the list of people with whom we can discuss your care.

There is a very limited list of people with whom we are required to share your information, including your insurance provider, other providers, and in some cases, with specialists to whom we may refer you. There is a copy of our privacy policy in our office that explains more about how we share and keep confidential your specific information.

Our Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice registered nurses who have advanced clinical training. They diagnose and treat medical problems, perform advanced procedures and prescribe medications. They are a vital part of the Pulse MD team, and work closely with Dr. Abrantes to care for their patients. By seeing the Nurse Practitioners in rotation with Dr. Abrantes, there are more providers who know you, and are well versed in your care.

Seeing your physician regularly is an excellent way to manage your health. Having at least an annual visit will allow your PCP to track progress on slow-moving conditions (high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.), identify changes that you overlook in your day-to-day familiarity (changes in moles, weight, etc.) and other things that you find mundane or don’t notice (waning eyesight or hearing).

Those with chronic conditions, even well-managed ones, should follow up with their PCP’s at least every three to six months to ensure there have been no changes, and to verify prescriptions are still current and at the most effective dose.

When you have a chronic or lengthy condition, such as diabetes, hypertension or gout, you will need follow up visits to ensure treatment is progressing smoothly, and for treatment adjustments to be made if necessary. A follow up visit may be also scheduled after a recent illness, injury or hospital stay, and are generally covered by your insurance. They can be short visits, and usually only cover the one
condition you need monitored.

A wellness visit is a comprehensive look at your general health and well-being, including assessments on certain conditions such as hearing digression, memory and gait disturbance, cognitive function, and screens for other potential conditions such as depression, and more. You and your provider will discuss an individual Health Risk Assessment. This helps practitioners to detect any new or
progressive symptoms that may go unnoticed in your day-to-day activities as gradual decline often goes unnoticed. These visits are usually much longer in nature, often taking as long as 30 minutes.

By having wellness visits on an annual basis, comparisons can be made, and in many cases can aid in early detection of disease by making sure you’re up to date on your preventive health maintenance. Medicare and most insurances cover an annual wellness visit, and some insurances even request them every six months!

If you have a physician in multiple locations, it is a very good idea to keep them informed as to your health status and any changes they may have occurred since your last visit. It’s very simple to do so with the implementation of electronic records, and all you need to do is sign a records authorization at the respective doctors’ and that information can be quickly and easily shared!

We appreciate you wanting to keep us as your providers, and want you to stay, too! Before you make any changes to a new plan, you should verify we are in the approved network for the plans you are considering. Feel free to call our office to ensure we are in network with your new plan before you make your decision!

We request you notify us immediately when you’ve had a change to your insurance coverage. We will need to update our records and make sure your coverage is in effect to avoid any unnecessary delays in your care.

Yes. You can log in to our portal on our website at mypulsemds.com, or you can utilize the Healow app, too. We can provide you with the log in information by calling our office at 352-350-5130, option 9.

In order for us to be able to abide by your wishes, we need a copy of your official advance directive, including any powers of attorney, Five Wishes or DNR orders. We can simply scan a copy for our records.

If you miss an appointment for whatever reason, we have a $25 missed appointment fee if you do not notify us at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. If you are hospitalized and cannot make that appointment, that fee is waived.

We are not able to refill prescriptions from another provider unless one of our providers sees you and agrees that the medication is warranted. Should you need a refill we did not prescribe, you will need to call the original prescriber.