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How to Choose a Physician Who’s Right for You
With Andrew McGown, M.D., Internal Medicine, Columbia St. Mary’s
Posted: Nov. 1, 2007
During the search for a new doctor, you should consider your own needs and priorities in addition to addressing health insurance issues and verifying medical credentials.
People who are seeking a new physician should first review their health insurance plan to note which doctors are members of their preferred provider network. In addition, determine if your doctor of choice has access privileges at the hospital where you prefer to be treated.
Your doctor will be your partner in care, so it is important to choose carefully from the doctors available to you. Your primary care doctor will serve as your regular doctor, managing your care and working with you to make a majority of the medical decisions about your care as a patient.
A primary care doctor for adults can be a family physician, who is trained to care for adults and children, or an internist, who is a physician specially trained to provide health care for adults. For older adults, some health plans allow a geriatrician to be designated as a primary care provider.
To find a physician who is right for you, you should establish your personal preferences. Some questions to consider include:
- Is the doctor’s practice conveniently located near your home or office?
- Do the doctor’s office hours fit your schedule? How quickly can you be seen for a routine appointment or an urgent care need?
- Is the office staff friendly and courteous? Do they have adequate medical training?
- Does the office charge a cancellation fee for rescheduled or dropped appointments?
- Are phone inquiries regarding your health care or concerns returned promptly by your doctor or a nurse?
- Who will cover for your physician when he or she is unavailable? Is the doctor part of a large practice and are you comfortable being seeing by one of his or her colleagues if the need arises?
- Does the doctor speak to his or her patients about medical conditions in laymen’s terms that are easily understandable?
- How much time does the doctor spend with his or her patients during their appointments?
Friends and family members also make good referral sources when it comes to physician recommendations.
You can check with the American Medical Association regarding a doctor’s training. The American Board of Medical Specialties can verify if the doctor is board certified. Although all doctors must be licensed to practice medicine, some are also board certified. This means the doctor has completed several years of training in a specialty and passed an exam to further assess their knowledge in that field.
A positive patient-physician relationship is an important contributor to the level of satisfaction patients experience with their medical care. One essential element is good communication with the doctor, and the staff in the doctor’s office. To help you determine if you feel comfortable with a doctor’s communication style, you can make an appointment to interview him or her.
Andrew McGown, M.D., Internal Medicine
Columbia St. Mary’s
414-326-1745
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