Navigating the Health Care System

A primary care provider is a health care professional who can provide ongoing care. This can be a family doctor, a nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant, depending on your province.

 

Your primary care provider will help determine if you have long COVID. They order tests and interpret them, and refer you to medical specialists and other health care providers as necessary. They are a good point person for helping you to navigate the health care system.

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You may want to ask about: 

• Whether your symptoms are typical and “normal” for long COVID

• Whether you should be referred to a long COVID clinic, if it is available in your area (please check the Resources page to see if your province has clinic for people with long COVID) 

• Whether you need to have tests to see if there may be other conditions contributing to your symptoms

• How to manage and monitor your symptoms

• When and how you can return to your usual activities

• Whether you should be referred to other specialist doctors (such as a cardiologist or psychiatrist)

• Whether you should be referred to other health care providers (such as a physiotherapist, a counsellor, an occupational therapist, a dietitian, etc.)

• Whether you would benefit from the support of other providers (such as a counsellor or physiotherapist)

• Whether you can arrange virtual visits (by phone or video) whenever possible  – there is some evidence showing that the benefits of in-person and virtual appointments may be the same, especially if going in person can be difficult

 

Consider sharing My Guide with your health care providers, including your primary care provider, as a starting point for discussion about identifying and managing your symptoms.