Knowing Where to Look to Find a Physician

If you need to find a physician, you may be unsure as to how to go about it. One of the first places you might wish to start is with the people who are closest to you. Think of it as networking with a personal twist. Ask your family members and friends as well as your work colleagues and neighbors if they can suggest any names of doctors and if they know if they are presently accepting new patients. It should not be that difficult to get the people you know to start talking about their doctors.

Another way to find a physician is to ask other medical professionals that you already know. For example, you might want to ask a nurse who works at the hospital.

Many local hospitals offer doctor referral services to those seeking new doctors. Hospitals often offer any number of health and medical related services to those interested in learning more about them. The only way to find out is to do some checking. You could visit the hospital in person or put in a call to them for more information. If you go online you might even be able to find an email address if you prefer to contact them in that manner. Be aware, however, that these services can provide you with the names of physicians and they will refer you, but they cannot give you any indication of the quality of care that you can expect to receive.

The telephone book is another good resource to use when it comes to finding a physician. If you look under the yellow pages, search for the heading “Physicians.” In the yellow pages, you will most likely find doctors who are categorized according to their medical specialties. Once you have a list, you can call each one of them to find out if they are accepting any new patients at the present time.

There are many different insurance plans that can provide you with a list of doctors whose services are covered by the plan in question. This is particularly the case if you belong to a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). However, for insurance purposes, you are expected to choose from the list of physicians. You cannot choose a doctor who is not on the list because the plan must cover the physician’s services. If you happen to be in a managed care plan, you should take a look at the group of doctors listed by the insurance plan before you do anything else.

To find a physician, you can read doctors’ ratings and reviews online to find out about the personal experiences others have had with individual doctors. This may help you come up with a few names to look closer at. You can also look to medical societies for some assistance in this area. The primary doctors group in the United States is the American Medical Association (AMA). At the website for the AMA, you will find a listing of physicians who are members of it. This should be of help to you in your search for a doctor.