Tips for Finding a New Doctor

It happens to all of us at some point or another; we need to replace our doctor due to a change in insurance providers, a move, or a bad experience. Sometimes, our wonderful doctor we have had for years retires or moves, leaving us without adequate medical care. Finding the right and perfect doctor can be a daunting experience, but don't worry I have a few tips to assist you in your search.

Before beginning your search, gather you thoughts together and make notes on what you are looking for in a doctor. Some suggestions to consider:
• What hours do you need the office to be open?
• Is there a particular hospital you prefer?
• What language do you want your doctor to speak?
• Do you prefer a large or small practice?
• How far are you willing to travel?
• Is parking an issue for you?
• Do you need the doctor's office to be on a bus line?
• Do you want your doctor to be open to complementary or alternative treatments?
• Is there a particular age range, gender or religion you want your doctor to be?
• What kind of payment policy do you need?
• Does this doctor take your insurance?
• Are you at the age you need a doctor that takes Medicare?
• Do you want a doctor who believes in preventive treatments or one who rather work with you after you show signs of having a disease?
• What areas of interest do you want your have? i.e. diabetes, cancer, cosmetic treatments, geriatric care, pediatrician
• Which hospital(s) do you want to your physician to be affiliated?

Once you get clear in your mind what you are looking for in a physician you need to be able to narrow your search. First, if you have insurance check with your provider to get their approved list of physicians. Then ask friends, relatives, and co-workers for recommendations. Ask why they prefer this doctor and ask how long they been a patient. The reason they like this particular physician may be appalling to you or they may have only seen the doctor once, thus really do not know enough to give a recommendation. Also ask if there are any particular doctor(s) you should stay away from. Make sure you find out why they dislike that particular doctor. What horrifies them may be what you are looking for in a physician.

Check with your state and/or local board to make sure the physician is licensed to practice in your state. A directory of state boards can be found on the Federation of State Medical Board's website (http://www.fsmb.org/directory_smb.html). You will find the addresses, phone number(s) and websites of the medical boards of all 50 states.

Now you have a list of doctors. Re-examine your notes on what you are looking for in a doctor. You should be able to narrow your list down to 3-4 physicians. Now you are ready to talk with the office staff. Are they courteous, kind and caring or perhaps they are rude, indifferent and bored by you? Did they put you on hold for 10 minutes? The attitude of the office staff is usually a reflection of the attitude of the doctor. If you don't like the attitude of the office staff chances are you will not like the doctor's attitude either.

Interview the doctor. Ask if the doctor can spare 10 - 15 minutes to talk with you so can determine if you want to be a patient or not. Be aware some doctors will charge you for their time. It will be worth it in the long run, if you find the doctor for you or learn who to avoid at all cost. Look over your notes about what you are looking for in a doctor. Ask questions that will help you determine if this particular doctor fits your needs. Listen to your gut. If the physician is saying all the right things you want to hear, but if something feels off, please listen to your gut. Pay attention during the interview. Notice if the doctor makes eye contact, looks interested and is listening to you. Did you understand what was said? Was he/she patient or impatient? What was the physician's attitude toward you and your questions? Did anyone interrupt the interview? Be sure to ask the doctor "What is your philosophy about treatment?" Does it jell with what you want? While you are waiting to see the doctor; notice the office environment. Is the office clean? Enough chairs for everyone? Is the waiting room busting to the seams with patients waiting? Ask the patients there "How long have you been waiting? Is the office staff friendly, with the patients and each other?

If you are wondering if the physician has any complaints or disciplinary actions against them there are two websites you can use free: Administrators in Medicine (http://www.docboard.org/), which has a DocFinder and many links to other websites with useful information ; and Health Care Choices (http://www.healthcarechoices.org/) which has links to only eight states, but will answer emails about physicians in the other 42 states.

If you are looking for a specialist, visit the websites of the American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org) to check if the physician is board-certified in their specialty. With both of these websites you can search either by the physician's name and location or by physician specialty and location. There is a doctor finder option for patients at the bottom right corner of the American Medical Association. According to their website they have "more than 690,000 doctors" listed. You can learn the physician's gender, training, education and major professional activity. On the American Board of Medical Specialties click on the "Is Your Doctor Certified?" option to find if the physician is certified. The website is free to use, but you must register first then wait 30-40 minutes to start searching.

Good luck with your search. If you have any tips for finding the right doctor, please let me know.

Note: To learn how to prepare for your next doctor's visit, see my article "Getting the Most Out of Your Next Doctor's Visit. " (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/314018/getting_the_most_out_of_your_next_doctors.html)