The vast majority of individuals, even other medical professionals, depend on personal recommendations when searching for a competent physician. So what should you do if you’re a long way from home or if you don’t know anybody who has personal experience with the local medical professionals? Recently, my parents requested me to suggest a physician for them in a place where I did not know any of my fellow medical professionals on a personal level. This is the 10-step method that I used to help them navigate their way to an amazing specialist; I hope that it helps others discover the proper doctor as well. I used it to help them navigate their way to an exceptional specialist. There are many GI Onco Surgeon in market.
The search for a competent physician broken down into ten easy steps
- Identify the kind of medical professional you need. You may be shocked to learn that a single symptom can be treated by a variety of experts, depending on the underlying source of the problem. Take the condition known as “back pain” as an example; in order to have your symptoms evaluated, should you visit a primary care physician, an orthopedist, a neurosurgeon, an anesthesiologist, a rheumatologist, or a rehabilitation specialist? It is dependent on the reason of the pain, which may or may not be obvious to you at this point. The first thing you need to do in order to locate a qualified doctor is to determine which specialty is most appropriate for the possible illness you have. It may be expensive to go from one specialist to another, so if you are unsure whether sort of physician specializes in treating your sickness or condition (or if you haven’t been diagnosed yet), it is best to begin treatment with a general care physician.
My go-to recommendation for an online physician consultant service is eDocAmerica.com. If you have concerns about your symptoms and would want an online physician’s opinion (or if you want to find out which specialist would be best for you or a loved one), you may do it there (note that I answer questions for them.)
- Create a list of all of the physicians (of the specialization you need) that are located in your region. Your insurance provider or an internet search of doctor-finder databases, such as Healthgrades.com, Vitals.com, or the Doctor Finder directory offered by US News & World Report, may both provide this list for you.
- Limit your options using the settings you’ve established online (available via Healthgrades.com or Vitals.com databases). Look at what the doctors have to say:
Hospital affiliation (s)
The location of the office (s)
Previous educational experience
Certain areas of expertise
Languages spoken
Many years of experience
Accepted types of insurance based on gender
Examine the CV, if one is provided (often on affiliated hospital website).
Examine the feedback provided by patients (take them with a grain of salt in case they are skewed by an unfairly disgruntled patient).
Check to see whether they are willing to treat new patients.
- Do a “background check” on your top candidates using an internet resource.
Check with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) to be sure they have board certification in their field (registration required).
Examine the website of their home state’s licensing department for any unfavorable reports: Proceed to “verify a license” ( e.g. CA)
Google the following: Do they maintain a website or a presence on social media? If that’s the case, you should get to know them that way.
- Schedule a time for the meeting. Take into consideration the following characteristics of an excellent physician experience:
The team’s professionalism and courtesy, including those of the scheduling staff, nurses, PAs, and technicians, among others.
The accommodations: tidiness and ease of use
Medical documentation and communication : How exactly will they provide you access to your data? EMR? Email?
Timeliness/convenience
- Arrive in a ready state.
Bring a list of all the drugs you take.
Bring a list of your previous medical and surgical problems and history with you.
Bring a list of any allergies you have with you.
Include the names and contact information for any other doctors or providers you see regularly.
Bring along the necessary paperwork for your insurance.
- Be sure you are asking the proper questions.
How many operations (like the one I’ll require) have you done in the past that are similar to the one I’ll need?
What are the potential drawbacks and advantages of undergoing the procedure? Alternatives?
Where might I go to further my understanding of this topic?
When the diagnosis is uncertain, one could ask, “What else might this be?”
Do we have access to any alternative drugs that are available at a lower cost that we might use instead?
- Trust your first instincts.
The physician did he or she explain everything in detail?
Does it seem like the doctor was concerned about you at all?
Do you have faith in your doctor’s ability to provide enough follow-up care?
Do you like your doctor?
- Get the advice of a second person.
If the physician does not live up to your expectations in any major manner, you should look for another one.
Get a second opinion from one of his or her contemporaries or do it online if you want to be absolutely certain that you are heading in the right direction. eDocAmerica (for generalist inquiries), Best Doctors (to be matched with top national specialists)
- Recognize and reward excellent physicians by posting their suggestions publicly so that others might benefit. The reliability of physician evaluations is directly correlated to that of the reviewers. You may assist other patients in finding competent physicians by giving recognition to those who are deserving of it.