For Seniors: Selecting a Doctor

Posted: June 1, 2004

It is important to have a primary care doctor who knows you and all of your health problems. Finding good medical care can be tricky at any age but for older people this task may be even tougher.

Even if you see other doctors for certain health conditions, for example, a heart specialist (cardiologist) for heart disease, your primary care doctor is needed to work with those specialists and coordinate all of your health care.

The following ideas may help you find a doctor who is right for you.

What should you look for in a doctor?
Of course you want a doctor who is well trained and competent. In choosing a doctor, some other things to think about are:

• Board certification and training in a specific field of medicine such as family practice, internal medicine or geriatrics.
• Communication style. Because communication is key to good health care, you want a doctor who will listen carefully to your concerns, answer your questions, and explain things clearly and fully.
• Type of health insurance — does the doctor accept your insurance plan or Medicare predetermined payments?
• The location of the doctor’s office — will it be easy for you to get there?
• Where patients get lab work done — in the doctor’s office or somewhere else?
• Which hospital the doctor uses to treat patients.
• Who covers for the doctor if he or she is out of town or not available?
• Which languages the doctor speaks.

A good first step is to make a list of the things that matter most to you. Then, go back over your list and rank them in order of importance.

What type of doctor?
For your primary care doctor, you might want a family practitioner, an internist or a geriatrician.

Family practitioners are similar to general practitioners, with extra training to focus on health care for all family members, regardless of age.

An internist is a doctor for adults. Some internists take additional training to become specialists. For example, cardiologists are internists who specialize in diseases of the heart.

Geriatricians specialize in the care of older adults. A geriatrician is trained in family practice or internal medicine, but has additional training in caring for older people.

Finding a new doctor
Once you have a sense of what you want in a doctor, ask people you know about doctors they use and like.

A doctor whose name comes up often might be a strong possibility as a choice. It may help to have several names to choose from in case the doctor you select is not taking new patients or does not take part in your health insurance plan.

If you belong to a managed care plan, you can get a list of doctors from the plan’s membership services office. Your choices will be limited to those doctors who are part of the plan.

To find a physician with Columbia St. Mary’s or Advanced Healthcare, click on FIND A PHYSICIAN at the top of this Web page.

How do you make an informed choice?
Once you have chosen two or three doctors, call their offices. The office staff can give you information about the doctor’s education and training. They also can tell you about office policies, standard insurance the office takes, payment methods, and the doctor’s hospital admitting privileges.

You may want to make an appointment just to talk with a doctor before deciding on a final choice. Make sure that she or he knows that you are trying to decide on a doctor. You likely will be charged for such a visit; your insurance company may not pay for it.

Make a list of questions you want to ask the doctor. For example:

• What age groups make up most of your practice?
• How do you manage patients with lots of health problems?
• What do you think are the most important preventive care issues for older adults?
• How do you involve your patients in health care decisions?
• Do you see many patients with the same chronic health problem that I have (for example, diabetes)?

After the meeting, ask yourself if you felt comfortable and confident with this doctor. Were you at ease asking questions? Did the doctor clearly answer your questions? If you are not sure, schedule a visit with one of the other doctors on your list.

Source: National Institute on Aging

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