Do you rush straight to the ENT with a sore throat, the neurologist with a headache, and the orthopedist with an arm ache? Probably not, unless you are already undergoing a specific therapy. Who do you actually go to if at least one of the aforementioned ailments is bothersome and won't go away? If your condition does not require emergency intervention, you will certainly go to your doctor or start looking for one.

What specialization is hidden behind this term? In this case, each of us is likely to give a slightly different answer. Some will say internal medicine, others general practitioner, general practitioner, primary care physician, home doctor, family doctor, and in the case of minors: pediatrician.

Apart from pediatricians, do all these terms really refer to the same profession? No, although there is a certain common denominator behind the term general practitioner. A general practitioner, or more specifically a family doctor, is a specialist who provides a kind of protective umbrella for both children and adults. They fulfill their duty in the context of patients' families, but also of the entire local community. They are personal doctors who are able to provide basic medical care to anyone in need, regardless of age, gender or type of illness.

The role of family doctors is to provide long-term care to patients, which is based not only on medical expertise, but also on mutual trust resulting from frequent contact. Thanks to long-standing relationships with the whole family and its environment, the doctor can look at your health from a broader perspective. This is not only due to the long-term relationship, but also to the entire social, psychological and cultural background. This medical approach can bring more tangible benefits to the patient than one-off visits to the doctor's office and constant changes of doctors.

The philosophy of a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the patient derives directly from the principles of family medicine. On the one hand, it is a scientific discipline, but it is also a medical specialty. This means that a family doctor is not a random combination of various medical specializations or an internist assigned to a specific family.

A family doctor is a person who, like other specialists, first completes six years of medical school and a thirteen-month postgraduate internship, followed by a four-year specialization in family medicine. He or she also has the opportunity to pursue more specific specializations, such as physical medicine and geriatrics. It is therefore not just a question of role or nomenclature, but of a specific specialization.

Moreover, in order to develop a strategy for implementing the institution of a family doctor into the health care system in our country, the College of Family Doctors in Poland was established in 1992. This organization currently brings together around 4,500 family doctors and is a member of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). It is therefore worth distinguishing between an internist, a pediatrician, a general practitioner and a family doctor.

Family doctor vs. internist, general practitioner and pediatrician: how to distinguish between specializations and who to choose?

Family medicine is a slightly broader field than internal medicine or pediatrics. Family doctors can independently provide advice to both children and adults, i.e. act as a pediatrician and internist. They have a comprehensive specialization and, consequently, broad knowledge in the fields of:

internal medicine,

pediatrics,

psychiatry,

dermatology,

gynaecology and obstetrics,

surgery,

ENT,

ophthalmology,

neurology.

Family doctors are usually the first link in the healthcare system, which means that they guarantee so-called primary healthcare (POZ).

POZ doctors are mainly specialists in the field of:

family medicine or those undergoing specialist training in this area,

general medicine (second degree specialization),

internal medicine, with confirmed training in family medicine,

pediatrics, provided that a course in family medicine has been completed.

A general practitioner can also be a doctor without a specialization, but with a long period of work experience, who is authorized to work in primary care. Sometimes doctors of various specializations, such as cardiology, gynecology, or surgery, who are employees of a facility belonging to Primary Health Care, are called GPs. Following this trail, you will probably come across another term, which is a general practitioner.

In this case, the role is already indicated by the name. It is simply the doctor who is the first to have contact with the patient. This can be an emergency doctor as well as a family doctor, internist or pediatrician, and thus the aforementioned GP.

And what does a general practitioner do? It is basically the old term for a family doctor, but also a specialist in general medicine or a doctor without specialization, providing basic medical services. Such an accumulation of medical terminology often leads to the interchangeable use of certain concepts. However, it should be remembered that, just as the terms GP or family doctor are used to describe a specific function, so general practitioner, internist or pediatrician are specializations that indicate the doctor's education.

When should you choose an internist or pediatrician and when a family doctor? An internist is a doctor specializing in internal medicine, which means that he or she has an overview of the entire human body. He or she only treats people over the age of 18.

They try to see the patient as a whole, which is made possible by their competence in the field of physiology and diseases of the following systems:

circulatory,

digestive,

urinary,

respiratory,

hormonal,

immune,

hematopoietic,

bone and joint.

They deal with the entire therapeutic process of the patient, starting from prevention, through diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation, or health monitoring. It is often up to the decision of the internist to accurately diagnose various diseases and possibly refer the patient to another specialist for consultation.

A pediatrician can be compared to a general practitioner to a certain extent, but this doctor is concerned with the overall health of the youngest patients, from newborns to those slowly entering adulthood. This doctor specializes in childhood diseases and their treatment and prevention. They must show particular care and an individual approach to each young patient and their guardians.

Pediatrics is not only a separate field of medicine, but also allows for more specific specializations, such as pediatric cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, oncology, etc. So if you are an adult and have health problems that you cannot identify, need a referral to a specialist or have simply caught a cold, you can successfully go to an internist. If the symptoms are concerning and affect minors, including babies, older children and young people up to the age of 18, you can take your child to a pediatrician first. In both cases, you can also choose your family doctor.

They will examine all family members without any problems and, if necessary, organize consultations with doctors working in Outpatient Specialist Care (AOS) or refer you for diagnostics and treatment in a more specialized facility, e.g. in a hospital.

Online family doctor - what does a visit to Dimedic look like?

You choose the form of consultation: teleconsultation with a family doctor or videoconference, and indicate the time slot in which the doctor is to contact you.

Then you fill in the preliminary medical consultation form for the family doctor. Remember to fill it out carefully so that the internist has access to your entire medical history. If you have test results, be sure to attach them to the form.

If you need an e-prescription to renew the medication you are already taking, attach medical documentation (e.g. medical certificate) or share your IKP (Learn more about how to share your IKP).

You pay for the consultation with your family doctor, and we forward the form to the specialist of your choice, who will review your condition and determine the treatment method and whether a sick note is needed during this time.

If you have chosen the option of a teleconsultation with a family doctor, he/she will call you at the desired time. The family doctor will call from the number (42) 641-20-41. You can save this number in your phone. It is very important to have a Polish phone number. It is also a good idea to have some free time during the chosen time slot to avoid a situation where you cannot answer the call. The family doctor will call three times. And what is important: enter the correct phone number in the medical consultation form and/or check that the number in your Patient Panel is up to date.

If you choose a video consultation with your family doctor, you will receive a link to the video call by email and text message during the selected time slot, where your family doctor will be waiting for you online for 4 minutes.

During the consultation – by phone or video – the family doctor will have your form at their disposal and will decide on the treatment to be undertaken based on the interview. If they deem it appropriate, they will also issue a sick note or e-prescription online.

After the consultation, you will receive recommendations from your family doctor and the necessary documents by email. What kind of documents? For example, referrals for examinations, e-prescriptions or e-sick notes. You will receive a text message notifying you that these documents have been issued. If you have an Internet Patient Account or use PUE ZUS, you will also find prescriptions, e-referrals for tests and sick leave there. All information is of course also available in your Patient Panel at Dimedic.eu.

From your family doctor at Dimedic.eu, you can receive a treatment plan, prescription for medication or sick leave online if you are an adult.

Family doctor privately at Dimedic - what documents can he issue for you?

If, during a teleconsultation with your family doctor, he decides that the symptoms you are reporting require rest and time to recover, he can issue you with a sick note in electronic form (e-ZLA). The same applies to prescribed medication – if, based on the medical history, the doctor considers that taking specific medication is safe for you, you can receive an e-prescription or a cross-border prescription – depending on the form in which you need this document. What if you need further diagnostics? If further examinations are necessary, you will receive an e-referral for tests or to a specific specialist, which your online family doctor will certainly inform you about.

Online consultation with a family doctor - how do I receive all the documents?

During the online doctor's appointment or teleconsultation, the Dimedic.eu family doctor will send all documents to you at the e-mail address provided during registration. You can also find it in your Patient Panel at Dimedic.eu and (in the case of electronic documents and if you have set up an Internet Patient Account) on your IPCA.

Online doctor's appointment with a family doctor at Dimedic - which illnesses can you discuss with them?

An open online doctor's appointment with a family doctor at Dimedic.eu allows you to discuss common illnesses and problems. These include conditions such as colds and flu, upper respiratory tract infections and sinusitis. An online family doctor can help treat acute symptoms, and can also consult and issue e-prescriptions for medication that you take on a regular basis if you suffer from a chronic illness, e.g. diabetes, hypothyroidism or hormonal contraception.  

The doctor will also help you get a referral to a specialist or for tests if necessary. And if during the consultation it turns out that you need a sick note, they can also issue it. What's more, during the consultation you can ask the doctor to prescribe more than one medication that you take on a regular basis.

Online consultation with a family doctor - what kind of illnesses can't you consult?

As with typical consultations with a family doctor at a stationary clinic, at Dimedic.eu we do not consult emergencies that require an immediate and personal visit to the Emergency Department or contact with the ambulance. What kind of situations are these?

If you or a loved one has experienced, for example loss of consciousness, impaired consciousness, convulsions, sudden and sharp chest pain, persistent vomiting, severe shortness of breath, acute allergic reactions (drug-induced, after contact with an allergen) or other directly life-threatening conditions that require immediate contact with the emergency services. We would like to remind you that the emergency number is: 112 or 999. If there is a deterioration in your health, the doctor may suggest that you visit a GP or a specialist immediately.

What are the online consultation hours with a family doctor?

Our doctors are available every day (Monday to Sunday, including public holidays) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CET. If you fill out the initial medical form and pay for the consultation after the doctors' working hours, our general practitioner will contact you by 9 a.m. the following day.

Does the online family doctor at Dimedic.eu provide services for free (under the National Health Fund)?

At our clinic, the family doctor provides services privately, so e-visits are not free of charge. Consultations at our clinic are provided as part of private medical care. Due to the fact that we are not a medical entity providing services based on a contract with the National Health Fund (NFZ), the consultation is fully payable. The cost of a telemedical consultation with a family doctor at Dimedic.eu is 99.99 PLN.

Online consultation with a family doctor - is it possible to extend the medication you are taking?

Yes, of course - it is possible. During an eVisit, doctors can extend your medication and issue an e-prescription (or cross-border prescription), but remember that the basis for extending your medication remains the doctor's decision, made on the basis of each medical history. In which situations does this apply? For example, when you are taking medication on a regular basis, e.g. to treat diabetes, high blood pressure or thyroid disease, etc.

Online consultation with a family doctor - can you extend your sick leave?

General practitioners at Dimedic.eu can issue a sick note online. If the doctor decides during the eVisit that a sick note is needed, they will issue this document as part of the consultation. They can also recommend further diagnostics if they are necessary for your health.

What language does the Dimedic.eu general practitioner use for the consultation?

Our teleconsultation general practitioner uses Polish and English language.

Will you get a refund if you are not prescribed an e-sick leave or e-prescription during the consultation?

Sick notes and e-prescriptions are issued if the doctor deems it necessary during the visit. If the doctor does not prescribe medication or issue a sick note during the online visit, there is no possibility of a refund after the consultation.

Can an online GP consult you without you having to fill in a GP selection form?

To use a teleconsultation with a family doctor at Dimedic.eu, it is not necessary to fill in the form to choose a GP. You can use our consultations on an ad hoc basis and whenever you need them. It's really easy.

Private family doctor and no PESEL number despite living in Poland

Are you wondering if you can use the consultation service and receive an e-prescription or e-sick note if you do not have a PESEL number? The answer is yes! You can use the teleconsultation service even if you do not have a PESEL number. In this case, you will need your passport number for identification. The doctor can also prescribe the appropriate treatment and issue a sick leave for the duration of your recovery.

Where is my family doctor? How to find and choose your personal doctor

Family doctors can be found in various medical facilities, both those that have a contract with the National Health Fund and commercial facilities. Most often, patients choose a specific primary care center (POZ) that is closest to their place of residence. In this case, there is no district system, so you do not have to register with a doctor in the place of your registered residence.

When deciding on a specific family doctor's clinic, also pay attention to:

the quality of services provided,

the range of additional medical services,

access to specialists, examinations and modern equipment.

If you are an insured person and the choice of a family doctor takes place in a unit that has signed a contract with the National Health Fund (NFZ), you have the right to indicate one doctor, one nurse and one primary care midwife in your application.

You can always change your decision, but:

for free no more than twice in a calendar year, unless it is due to factors beyond your control (e.g. clinic closure, moving, doctor retiring),

for every third and subsequent change during the year, you will currently pay 80 PLN.

If changing your family doctor involves transferring to another health center, remember to collect your medical records and transfer them to the new location. This may also involve an additional fee, but it is worth transferring your medical history to the next doctor. You can choose or change your family doctor directly at the medical center by filling in a special declaration or online using the Internet Patient Account (IKP).