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Choosing Physicians

A good physician is an essential part of your health care team. How can you pick a good doctor?

While it is important that you seek a competent doctor, it is also important to choose a doctor who makes you feel comfortable. The following tips could help you choose a good doctor:

Board Certification

Each medical specialty grants certification to physicians who pass certain exams and meet strict training standards. Although a doctor does not to be board certified to practice a specialty, it may be important to you that he or she is certified. To determine if a doctor is board certified, merely ask the doctor or his or her office assistant or consult a medical directory.

Recommendations

Ask your friends, relatives, and co-workers for recommendations. This is a better starting point than advertisements or the Yellow Pages. You can also ask your general physician for a recommendation.

Clean record

No doctor is perfect but you will want to find a doctor who has not had numerous offenses. The following sources can help you do this:

1. State medical boards
Contact your state medical board or local health department for further information. Ask if the physician has ever been disciplined for negligent or unethical behavior. If the physician has been disciplined, learn as many details as possible.

2. Court records current
Court records can reveal if a doctor has been sued, adding details such as why, and how often. However, court records are hard to search. You may prefer to consult a Washington-based consumer group, which publishes statewide directories of physicians who have been cited for incompetence, negligence, and sexual or substance abuse. For a directory for Texas, specify Texas and send a check for $19 to:

Public Citizen, 1600 20th Street, Northwest, Washington DC, 20009.

Experience

Patients want to choose a doctor familiar with his or her particular condition. For example, when selecting a surgeon, ask how many times he or she has performed an operation. The more experience the surgeon has had, the greater the chance of the surgery being successful. You might also check the hospital success rate for your type of surgery and compare it to other hospitals.

Hospital Affiliation(s)

A doctor must meet certain standards that are set by the hospital in order to be affiliated with that hospital. If a doctor is affiliated with a good hospital, the likelihood of getting good medical care from him or her increases.

Bedside Manner

Competent doctors treat their patients with respect and without prejudice. If your doctor is rushed, rude, or appears prejudiced, you may want to look for another physician. Your doctor should always have time to attend your needs at time to answer your questions.

A doctor who has a personality pleasing to you and who makes you feel comfortable is most important here.

Miscellaneous Items

Any doctor's team is a reflection of the doctor's character and values.The doctor and his staff should be courteous, neat, and efficient. Records should be kept confidential.

There should be no signs that your doctor has an alcohol or drug problem. A smell of alcohol, dilated pupils, slurred speech, or erratic behavior may indicate such a problem.

Although you never know when you will need a specialist, the ideal time for choosing good doctors and physicians is before you need them desperately.

In conclusion, you will discover that finding a doctor you trust will take some investigation and time. You will also find that this is well worth the effort.