Dr Reviews and Other Search Methods

The world wide web of information does not fall short when it comes to researching physicians. On-line dr reviews are readily available as quickly as you can input a prospective provider’s name. One these sites, you can find education history, training information, such as when and where internships and residencies were completed, but the most useful tool maybe the actual ratings by current and former patients. Patients can go on to these websites to specifically to leave future patients notes and tips about experiences. Finding out what to expect from the office staff, knowing in advance how difficult or how easy it is to make an appointment at your convenience, and feeling out other expectations that are important to you concerning a physician and/or how an appointment goes are samples of things that can be looked up on such review sites.

If you have a long term relationship with your primary care physician (PCP), you may feel comfortable enough asking specific questions about a specialist to which he or she may be referring you, and while codes of ethics deny professionals from disclosing opinionated information, you can usually guise your PCP into setting you up with someone who meets criteria that are important to you. If you need a physician whose office offers flexible hours, a specialist who has privileges at a certain facility, or even if you prefer someone who is known for awesome bedside manner, your PCP can generally ethically guide you in the right direction.

For some real answers to real questions, relying on your network of friends and family is always a great technique. They will hold nothing back concerning their opinions about certain physicians, and since a doctor’s office is essentially a small business, they do enjoy word of mouth referrals to drive people to seek their services. You may even find that you get a little bit of above and beyond treatment if you have been referred by a long standing patient with whom the provider has a good history.

For a thorough search, consider getting a referral from your PCP, doing a background check with on-line dr reviews, and then asking a question or two, or three about your prospective choice’s personal credentials by relying on a network of friends’ opinions. While any one of the listed research methods can help guide you to a good choice for a provider, the only real tell-tale way to know if the doctor-patient relationship is a good fit is to try out the services with a sort of “get to know you” appointment. You of course have the right to have a preliminary appointment with as many providers as you see fit to help find the right relationship.