Finding the Right Doctor After a Cancer Diagnosis

Finding the right doctor is one of the most important, but often very difficult, parts of managing your treatment. But it doesn't need to be. Whether you are recently diagnosed and in need of initial treatment, or you need a second opinion or a specialist, many of the strategies are the same. If you are feeling overwhelmed, ask a friend or loved one to help you. There are many strategies to find and evaluate doctors and other healthcare professionals. You can take advantage of patient advocacy organizations or support groups, comprehensive cancer centers, local hospitals, and the network of people you already know. You may even choose to go on the Internet to get started. The key is to use those resources to your advantage.

Ask People You Know

One of the best places to begin looking for a healthcare professional is among people you already know. You may know members of the medical community. However, if you do not have a trusted friend or relative in the medical field, chances are some of your friends or relatives do. Ask them for help.

These professionals do not need to specialize in your illness, nor do they even need to be in a related area of medicine. The key question to ask is:

If you had my diagnosis, who would you select as your doctor? From whom would you get a second opinion? Where would you go and what doctor or specialist would you seek out for this specific diagnosis?

As you gather names, make a list of the contact information and its source. It is likely you will begin to see names that repeat. These become the most important, and you should investigate them first.

Once you have developed a list of healthcare professionals, the next step is to evaluate them. This will help you to narrow your field of choices and determine if a healthcare professional is the most qualified to provide your care.

Checking Credentials: Board Certifications

Evaluating the differences between physicians can be difficult. Most practicing doctors begin their careers with more than ten years of education and training in medicine. The key is to know where to look for differences.

Being board certified indicates a doctor has completed advanced education in a field and passed exams and reviews to become certified. There are 24 recognized certification boards that determine if physicians meet the educational and training standards. These boards administer exams to certify them in a particular specialty. After being certified as a specialist and being given the title of "Diplomate", a physician can pursue a subspecialty. This subspecialty requires an additional year of education and training within the field of specialty.

When you review a doctor's qualifications, you should ask if they are board certified and if they have a subspecialty. If you want or need to investigate this yourself there are services available, such as the American Board of Medical Specialties. They can be contacted at 1-866-ASK-ABMS (275-2267) or on the Internet.

Making a Choice

Once you have identified a potential healthcare professional, you need to decide if he or she is the right one for you. This can be much like interviewing someone for a job, because that is essentially what you are doing. Every person has different needs and desires for his or her healthcare. Keep in mind the best care may or may not come from the doctor or specialist you personally "like" the most. You first need to decide for yourself what is most important to know about how your healthcare professional shares your values. You have the right to expect the care you need and the care you want.

Rate your Doctor

If you dealing with a new healthcare professional or already have a relationship with one, you should feel satisfied and confident that the doctor is the right one for you. Hospitals and HMOs often use surveys to evaluate their patients' level of satisfaction with the performance of their healthcare professionals. You can also use these same tools for your own benefit.

Not everything that is important to you may be contained in the survey, but this may help you compare your satisfaction with a healthcare professional with how other patients rate him or her, as well as how they rate other doctors you might choose.