March 28, 2025 | Choosing a doctor is an important decision, yet most people choose doctors based on little more than a recommendation from a friend. It’s safe to say that we spend more time trying to decide which refrigerator best suits our needs than which doctor would take the best care of us. It is important to have a doctor who knows you and your health problems and who understands your health care needs. A personal physician, or primary care physician, can help you make medical decisions and oversee the care you get from more specialized physicians. If you need more help finding names of doctors, contact a local hospital, medical society, physician referral service, or nearby medical schools. Choosing a doctor is a decision that is probably best made while you are healthy and have time to think about a number of possibilities. If you don’t have a doctor or are thinking about changing doctors, now may be the best time to look for one.

March 28, 2025 | Many personal likes and dislikes are involved in choosing a doctor. In general, you want a doctor who is well trained and competent. You also want a doctor who can explain things clearly and fully and who can anticipate your health problems. Other things that might affect your choice of a doctor include the type of health insurance you have, the hospital where the doctor treats patients, and the languages the doctor speaks. Keep in mind that there are different types of doctors. You might choose a family physician, an internist, or a geriatrician. Family physicians provide health care to patients of all ages while an internist is a doctor strictly for adults. Some internists take additional training to become specialists. Cardiologists, for example, are internists who specialize in diseases of the heart. Geriatricians specialize in the care of older adults. They first train in family practice or internal medicine and then undergo additional training in the caring for older people.

March 28, 2025 | Choosing the right doctor may be one of the most important and most difficult decisions you ever have to make. After you have a general sense of what you are looking for in a doctor, ask relatives, friends, coworkers, and other health professionals for recommendations. Ask about the person’s experiences with the doctor. For example, “What do you like about Dr. Smith?” A doctor whose name comes up often might be a strong possibility. It may be helpful to have several names to choose from, in case the doctor you select is not currently taking new patients or does not participate in your health insurance plan. You can usually get a list of participating doctors from your plan’s membership services office. Depending on what insurance plan you have, your choices may be limited to those doctors affiliated with the plan. If a doctor you are interested in is not on the list, check with their office as provider lists aren’t always up to date.

March 28, 2025 | When choosing a physician, it’s a good idea to have two or three candidates. After you’ve narrowed down your list, take time to call their offices. The office staff is often a good source of information about the doctor’s education and training, office policies, and payment procedures. If possible, try to make appointments to talk to the doctors. You may be charged for these appointments but they can be very informational and help you decide which one is right for you. Board certification is another way to tell about a doctor’s expertise. Doctors who are certified have had training after medical school and have passed an exam certifying them as specialists in certain fields of medicine. These include the primary care fields of family practice, internal medicine, and geriatrics. Many Web sites offer directories of medical providers with information on specific credentials, like where a physician went to school, whether they have other degrees and if they’re board certified.

March 28, 2025 | Roughly 88 percent of Americans of all ages have a regular place to go for medical care, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey. This means that the majority of the population relies on something other than hospital emergency rooms for their health care needs. That’s the good news. The bad news is that not all patients are always frank and forthcoming when discussing their condition with their doctor. Choosing the right physician or physicians, ones that can accommodate all of your mental and physical health needs, is only half the battle. Remember, once you have found a doctor you are happy with, your job is not finished. A good doctor/patient relationship is a partnership, with both you and your doctor working together to solve your medical problems and maintain your good health. Make sure that you feel comfortable working with your doctor and that you always are honest when discussing your overall health.