How to Choose a Doctor
These days it's getting harder and harder to find the right doctor. Gone are the bygone days of the local physician whom everyone trusted. At least today there are numerous online resources available that can be used to make the decision a little easier.
There are so many different specialists out there that this could be a very confusing process. In general if you do need a specialist it will be your Family doctor that will point you in the right direction. For that reason this article will focus mainly on finding a quality family doctor that you can trust and get valuable advice from.
One of the biggest problems of finding a doctor is where to look. As far as I’m concerned referrals are the best tools that consumers have to help them find a doctor. Friends and relatives can probably point you in the right direction. Also, I recommend using www.metroinfo.com. Their website will have the best doctors in your area listed in their website. All doctors listed on the www.metroinfo.com website will have had comprehensive history checks done as well as initial audits of their past performance and continuance spot audits of current and past patients to insure the highest level of satisfaction. Try to avoid using sources like phone books or online directories as they are unchecked, allowing anyone to list themselves.
To start digging a little deeper there’s no harm in conducting a broad Google or Yahoo! search. Simply type in the name of the doctor you’re considering plus keywords like “malpractice,” “lawsuit,” etc. (“John Smith” + “malpractice”). These broad searches can be helpful as an early warning system for you. Remember, that if a doctor was sued, they are not likely to live in the same area. Broad searches may be able to aid you in finding out a little bit about a doctor’s past.
For further information on potential Doctors there are many online sources you can use. If you’d like to find more information on the background of a Doctor click here. This website provides links to state pages that contain information on Doctors including licenses, place of education, and past disciplinary actions taken against them. All of this information is very useful; however, it will only have information from the state you searched. This can lead to a rather tedious process where you have to backtrack through the previous states the Doctor has worked in.
Luckily, there are two fairly good websites, www.healthgrades.com and www.choicetrust.com, that offer this information in a shorter document. Basically, their program scans all state medical records and pulls up all relevant results about the Doctor you searched for. To access this information you’ll have to register and pay a $7.95 fee for each doctor you look up. This service is helpful, but I would suggest always looking up the doctor at least in the state he resides now. Any further research is up to your discretion.
When you are looking at the past records there are important things to look for. Always make sure the Doctor’s license is current in the state he is practicing. Also look for any notes relating to disciplinary actions taken against the Doctor. These are important as the board will rarely take action against a Doctor for something trivial. Finally, locate the specialty of the Doctor and see if it matches what you are looking for.
By using the above information you’ll probably be able to narrow down your choices. There are also a number of personal preferences to consider.
• Do you prefer a male or female Doctor?
• Do you prefer a younger doctor or an older doctor?
• Do they have privileges at the hospital of your choice?
• Where is the location of the doctor's office? Is it easy for you to get to?
When you’ve decided on a number of Doctors it’s time to set up an interview with each. Be aware that they may charge you for the interview. There are a number of important questions to ask the Doctors during the interview. They are listed below. It is important that you take notes during the interview and get as much information as possible. Also, bring in a medical history for yourself or family members including all medications you or your family may be prescribed.
Consider:
- Do they encourage you to ask questions?
- Do they listen to you?
- Do they explain things clearly?
- Do they treat you with respect?
- Do they take steps to prevent illness (i.e. for example, talks to you about quitting?
smoking)?
- How comfortable do you feel talking about your health problems with them?
Ask:
- Are you part of a group or are you a solo practitioner?
- If they are a solo practitioner: Who covers for you when you're away?
- Where else have you practiced medicine?
- Have you ever been sued or had board action taken against you?
- Do you accept my health insurance?
- What hospital(s) are you affiliated with?
- Are you rated to give quality care?
- I need a special procedure done, what is your success rate for it?
- "My last Doctor and I had problems communicating. How could you and I best
communicate?" (Email, phone, etc.)
- Are there any current or past patients I could speak with in regards to your clinic? (This
is a difficult question because no one really wants to speak poorly of their doctor
because their future service could be affected by a bad answer.)
If you have a specific illness, consider asking the following questions:
- Are you comfortable with diagnosing and treating my disease?
- How many patients have you treated with my disease?
- Are you familiar with other conditions I have?
- What medications do you usually prescribe for my disease? Do you have a problem
with prescribing the medications that I'm taking?
- What is your policy on refills (be specific, especially with narcotics)?
- What do you feel is adequate pain control?
- Can you treat depression or must I see a specialist?
- Are you familiar with alternative therapies? How do you feel about _______?
(acupuncture, homeopathy, meditation, etc.)
- Is there a specialist that you would recommend for my illness?
When you have decided on a Doctor you can find more out about them by conducting a full-scale criminal background check. These can be obtained through many companies on the Internet. I’ve had fairly good luck with www.intelius.com. However, most background checks are pricey (starting around $40) and may not even include conclusive evidence. This is an option, but it is completely up to you. Use your best judgment.
When you are trying to make your final decision there are other things to consider. What I’m talking about is the gut feeling. If you don’t feel comfortable with someone then it probably isn’t worth using them as your primary care provider. While it is very important to review the facts you have about the Doctor, the bottom line is that your feelings are going to be the deciding factor in which Doctor you decide to go with.
Overall, what you are looking for is someone you can feel comfortable and confident with. There’s nothing worse than getting a Doctor you can’t talk too, and whom you can’t trust. So when you do decide to try and find a new Doctor try and take some time doing it. Don’t get rushed into a situation that you are uncomfortable with. The bottom line when finding a Doctor is that there aren’t any guarantees, but by getting all available information you can make the best decision possible.
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