How to book a gynecological examination at the clinic?

A guide for those who would like to go to the clinic but do not know how to book and what is different from a gynecological visit in a private practice or hospital.

Everyone can go to a family clinic , a structure born with a law in 1975, just make an appointment because they are “direct access”, therefore without the need for a prescription. Here’s what they are and what they are for in the macrocosm of Italian healthcare.

The health map of our territory presents different realities and the places where you can find medical specialists, these differ in two broad categories. On the one hand there are the structures accredited by the National Health System that accept and issue the red prescriptions and that make health services to be paid in part (when a ticket is requested) or totally financed by the Region (when the patient is exempt). On the other hand, there are the private structures which, despite being always affiliated with and controlled by the National Health System, have privatized plots and do not accept red recipes. There are also studies that are “hybrid” combining these two characteristics with some lines of reservations on the National Health System and other private lines of appointments.

The Italian law has declared that on the national territory there must be consultants who have the task of welcoming and filtering the social and health needs of the inhabitants of an area of ​​the country to evaluate which of them should then go to the hospital. A little as if it were a first level structure capable of sorting and managing everything concerning prevention, health education, primary care and above all family support. Not all clinics are the same: they can be totally managed by the ATS (Health Protection Agencies), as if they were branches of a decentralized hospital, or they can be private accredited.

The law of 29 July 1975 n. 405 which has as its object: “Establishment of family counseling” defines them as places of assistance to the family and maternity . This includes psychological and social assistance for those who need to become a mother (or father) so that they can be prepared parents of healthy children. The clinic also offers services for couples and to solve juvenile problems. Among the missions, known is that of “dissemination of information suitable for promoting or preventing pregnancy by recommending methods and drugs suitable for each case”. For this reason many young girls decide to go to a family clinic for their first gynecological examination: it is not just an outpatient clinic where medical checks are carried out, but it is a place dedicated to answering doubts and questions of all kinds regarding contraception, pregnancy and other problems, especially women.

Characteristic of the ATS clinics is that they have direct access, which means that any patient, of any age, even without a prescription, must be able to access the service simply by making an appointment.

This is particularly important for gynecology , as the gynecological subject involves a series of interventions that cannot wait long times: from pregnancy to emergency contraception, passing through pap tests , ultrasound, sex education, pregnancy and pregnancy follow-up. motherhood ; all moments that require presence “in the area” and promptness in responding to the needs of patients who are scattered throughout the territory.

Many wonder if there are “worse” conditions in the clinics compared to large hospitals and private practices. These structures are clean and perfectly adequate to the social and health management rules of the structures of the National Health System. What’s more: there are countless and constant checks that guarantee the adequacy of the spaces. The staff is also competent, kept up-to-date in order not to lose pace and to be able to always give correct and current answers (as indeed all the health personnel who practice in Italy are required to do).

This is a nice project of the consultors, isn’t it? So all that remains is to book. The different types of clinic have unique characteristics, so it will be better to call first, make an appointment, ask if you need a prescription from your doctor or not.

Discretion in the clinic

Can minors go to the clinic? Sure. In some counseling centers there are Adolescent Projects, so boys and girls can go there to meet a specialist and receive treatment, or even just information, without asking their parents. But not everyone can have this guarantee of confidentiality, so it is always better to collect information first about the clinic that interests us, simply by calling it and asking if they offer this service or not, and if they can refer to another center that allows adolescents to solve their problem without going through the family.

Discretion for adults is guaranteed everywhere. This is because in Italy individual professionals, doctors, nurses, psychologists… are bound by professional secrecy.

Of course, going to the clinic close to home will make it easier to meet people you know, so you can consider going to a different structure as your reference. But it is important to select it first of all for the characteristics and specialists who work on it! Once you have chosen the clinic, you can understand – by asking the attending physician – whether or not you are entitled to some exemption (these are issued for pathology, income or prevention). If you are not entitled to an exemption, you will need to pay the nationally standardized service ticket, which varies from service to service.

 

The clinic as a reference point for the family

Can I return after the first time in the clinic? Obvious! If you feel comfortable it is possible to adopt it as a reference point and return cyclically on the recommendation of the specialist who visited us. In the same clinic it is possible to find different professional figures, who can help the family unit to cope with different needs, not only in terms of health, but also psychological support, socio-cultural assistance and education in health and prevention. The counseling center should become a place where you can trust with confidence and bring all the needs that emerge in the life of a family with its evolution and changes. Why choose your own clinic instead of a gynecological clinic? Most of the time, age (it is a privileged place for the very young) and personal circumstances (economic, psychological or other) dictate this choice.

The clinic and contraception: it is the best place to learn everything and choose the best for yourself. Pill, coil, vaginal ring or condom and that’s it? Often, when a girl has her first sexual intercourse (or, better still, she knows that she will soon have her first time), in the clinic they will be able to show her how the body works with anatomical models and other tools, they will be able to answer all her questions – shyness and embarrassment are useless, these specialists have heard all the colors – and direct her towards a safe method of contraception by explaining all the pros and cons of the various systems. In case of pregnancy, desired or unwanted, here gynecologists and psychologists will offer a complete assistance service to guide the woman step by step towards a solution, such as the choice of a termination of pregnancy , or towards a peaceful motherhood .

For sexually transmitted diseases , clinics are also an excellent starting point, from prevention to diagnosis.

 

The numbers to call

Now we know everything and we are ready to make an appointment: here is the map region by region , city by city with all the telephone numbers and addresses. The data are those of the Ministry of Health (updated to 2016). Calling a clinic immediately is the right thing to do if you have a problem and are looking for answers!

 

by Abdullah Sam
I’m a teacher, researcher and writer. I write about study subjects to improve the learning of college and university students. I write top Quality study notes Mostly, Tech, Games, Education, And Solutions/Tips and Tricks. I am a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

Leave a Comment