Primary care doc in DC for complex case

[Anonymous]

We recently moved to DC and are seeking a primary care provider who can take charge of a complex case with lots of nonspecific symptoms and help us get to a plan and hopefully a diagnosis. This is for our 17-year-old daughter.

Our current doc in Northern Virginia has not been as proactive as we would like. Do you know of anyone really good in DC — probably female, kind and willing to take the time to take a thorough history, do the necessary tests, and help us figure this out? We have good Aetna insurance, but maybe we need to consider concierge? We are open to a nurse practitioner or a doctor.

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

I don't know of a specific doctor, but you may have to go concierge. A difficulty, though, is she at the borderline for a pediatrician and a GP that serves adults. I would try for the latter. Also haven't heard of a concierge pediatrician practice.

From experience, be prepared to have doctors doubt it is a medical problem and suggest it is psychiatric. I think the right specialist is key. Often these nonspecific come from an autoimmune disease, but too often GPs just run tests for ANA and rheumatoid factor and if those tests are negative they conclude it is not autoimmune. But there are plenty of autoimmune diseases for which those tests are invariably negative.

Perhaps you could give her symptoms and we could give suggestions as to possible specialists or at least a starting point with the GP.