There are many great sources of checklists for finding a doctor. Some so detailed you think you’ll fall asleep before you get to the end…Others that seem to require a doctorate degree to understand.
If you’re as busy as we are, you want the short and sweet list – and you don’t want to be wasting your time going to an appointment only to discover that you don’t care for the doctor at all. You’ll find our quick checklist below. And, just in case you have deeper needs, we’ve included links to several of the more reputable sites with checklists that you can use for more detailed investigation. You may also want to look at Gabby Blogs – Thoughts on Finding Great Doctors.
Most checklists seem to imply an order to your investigation which isn’t really how it seems to work in real life and, we happen to believe, they normally start in the wrong place… by creating lists of doctors to check out.
Instead, we think you should choose your hospital first. If you end up dealing with a broken arm or a major illness, you want to be in the best possible place for dealing with it AND you want to have your own doctor care for you. Usually doctors can only practice at hospitals they are affiliated with. And, if you happen to have a choice about what hospital you go to, you’ll want to go to the one with the best quality and safety record. So, picking your hospital first is a smart move.
Whatever order you choose, here is The Gabby Crusader DoctorFinder QuickList:
1. What hospital do you want to use for your families emergencies and illnesses? Gabby Crusader Hospital Selector Quicklist
2. What doctors are available in your area? (at this hospital
a. Friend’s recommendations
b. American Medical Associations DoctorFinder
c. Your Insurance Plan Preferred Providers
d. Hospital’s Affiliation List (Check their website for doctor referral
e. Other referral programs – there are lots of services out there, from insurance companies, hospitals, and anyone else trying to sell you services.
3. What type of license does the doctor have? Licenses and Status by State – Doctor Scorecard
4. Is the doctor board certified or board eligible?
5. Doctor’s Practice
a. Other patient’s recommendations / reviews – Doctor Scorecard, Angie’s List [$]
b. Call their office. Ask to speak with the doctor’s Physician’s Assistant, Nurse or Office Manager. Explain your situation and ask for a description of the doctor’s practice. An effective Gabby Crusader is looking for a partner in their care management – someone who will help educate them and participate in decision-making but not someone who expects the patient to “follow instructions and don’t ask too many questions”. Some key questions to consider asking
- What is the doctor’s view of the patient’s involvement in treatment?
- Office Staff, days and hours, languages spoken, who provides care, after hours and vacation coverage, does the doctor accept questions by e-mail?
- Is the doctor planning any changes in the insurance s/he accepts?
OTHER RESOURCES
Consumer Reports On Health - Extensive website on helping you become a better consumer of healthcare services. Their checklist is free but physician ratings require a membership fee.
OTHER CHECKLISTS
MedLine Plus Choosing a Doctor or Healthcare Service – MedLine is the web presence of the US Library of Public Health. This is a detailed checklist with an overview of all the things you are looking for and explanations why.
Your Guide to Choosing a Primary Care Physician - US Department of Health and Human Services – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (the people in the government responsible for making sure we get quality care… Very detailed checklist with lots of questions to consider. This checklist is in their archives and there are warnings that some links may not be active.
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