Find a doctor: tips to choose the best

Published on May 1, 2008

Choosing a physician or other health care provider is one of the most important decisions you can make. Here are some suggestions:

Take stock of your needs

Not everyone is looking for the same thing in a health care professional. Carefully consider such things as bedside manner, proximity to your home, experience, accreditations, and your family and their particular conditions.

Make a list of possibilities

Check your health plan's list of covered professionals first. Then check reviews and ratings on Angie's List, along with recommendations from friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and other health care professionals you trust.

Contact the office

Your questions should be tailored to your needs. If you're looking for a physician, here are some basics to find out from office staff: Which hospitals does the doctor use? Who covers for your doctor when he or she is not available? How long does it take to get a routine appointment? What is the average time patients are in the waiting room before being seen? What do you do if you have an urgent need for care? For common medical problems, does the doctor, nurse or physician assistant give advice over the phone or by e-mail?

Check the record

The American Medical Association's DoctorFinder can help in checking a physician's credentials, while state medical boards will have information on doctors and other professionals who require licensing and may even have data on disciplinary action. Check www.fsmb.org for a state-by-state listing. For many specialties, you can go to abms.org and click on "Is Your Doctor Certified?" Certification is a good indicator of experience, though not the only yardstick of quality.

Meet in person

Make an appointment for an initial consultation and see what kind of "fit" they are. A health care professional should be willing to answer all your questions. If you have particular medical conditions, find out how experienced they are in treating those conditions. If you use or participate in any alternative medicines or treatments, see if they're comfortable with them.

Follow your gut

Ask yourself if the doctor listened carefully, answered in terms you understood, showed respect, made you feel comfortable, addressed the specific health problems you came in with and asked your preferences about different kinds of treatment. Is this someone you're willing to entrust your health with for the long term?

Source: Angie's List research; U.S. Agency for Health Care Quality