I love all my doctors—all but one. She is probably a great doctor…just not the one for me. So I am going to break up with her. But since it is not easy to find a new doctor these days, I asked our esteemed expert David Sherer, MD, for his guidance. Here’s what he said…
Ask around. Ask friends and family members if they have a doctor they’d recommend. After you have picked one or two, call the doctors’ offices to find out whether they’re accepting new patients and if they take your insurance. Don’t commit to anything—you’ll need to do a lot more vetting.
Start Googling. Read through online reports by US News Health, Zocdoc.com and HealthGrades.com. They’re good sources for specialties, certifications, insurance, education and facilities where the doctors enjoy privileges.
Look for quality indicators—where the doctors studied and did residencies. Look for prestigious names such as Harvard and Yale, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Have they been published in peer-reviewed journals? A lack of such clues doesn’t mean a doctor is bad, but they do suggest a level of quality.
Read patient reviews—but ignore complaints about support staff, long phone waits, etc. Use reviews to get a sense of “bedside manner.” Do the physicians explain things thoroughly? Devote time to each patient? Make the patient feel heard? That’s the important stuff.
Disciplinary actions. Visit your state medical board’s website to learn whether a doctor has been sued, sanctioned or disciplined…or has lost his/her license and had it reinstated.
Consider experience. More experience generally is better—many doctors agree that physicians typically peak at about 10 to 20 years out of training.
Now I am off to start my search with Dr. Sherer’s advice in hand. Wish me luck!
