Choosing a doctor is one of the many important personal choices you will make in your life. A bad choice of a doctor often isn't realized until something goes wrong and it is too late to be changed. Therefore, you should become as educated as possible when choosing a doctor by assembling as much useful information as you can. Try to gather information from many sources and in many forms - the more sources of information, the better - including:

• Friends/family
• Your health benefits officer at work/fellow employees
• Health plan network lists

Education and Training

Doctor education and training is demanding and extensive, beginning in college and medical school and continuing throughout a doctor's career:

• College (four years)
• Medical School (four years)
• Residency Training (up to seven years)
• Fellowship Training (up to seven years)
• Continuing Education (Lifetime)

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Medical School

Students enter medical school after completing standard four-year undergraduate programs in accredited colleges or universities. In medical school (four years), study focuses on the basic sciences (anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, etc.) as well as behavioral sciences. Students participate in clinical rotations in hospitals and clinics working with experienced Doctors and exploring a wide variety of medical specialties (family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, surgery, etc.). Completion of medical school earns students a doctor of medicine degree (M.D.).

Some doctors in the U.S. choose to become doctors of osteopathy (D.O.). Similar to M.D. degrees, students receive osteopathic degrees after four years of study at osteopathic colleges. Osteopathic training emphasizes traditional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as well as the relationship of body systems and holistic patient care.

Residency

After medical school, doctors participate in up to seven years of graduate medical education or residency training. The length of training varies depending on the specialty a doctor pursues. Residency training focuses on a specific medical specialty and occurs in accredited hospitals or other health care facilities under experienced doctor supervision. Pediatrics, allergy and immunology, and general surgery are examples of doctor specialties. Following residency training, doctors are eligible for medical specialty Board Certification.

Fellowship Training

The training for a subspecialty, which occurs after completion of a general residency, is sometimes called a fellowship. For example, a doctor interested in becoming a certified cardiologist will finish three years of general residency in internal medicine followed by three more years of a residency, or fellowship training, in cardiovascular disease.

Doctor Licensure

Doctors may hold one or more licenses to practice medicine in 54 U.S. licensing jurisdictions. Doctor licenses guarantee that the Doctor has successfully finishd an appropriate sequence of education, including residency training, and has demonstrated competence through successful completion of an examination or other certification demonstrating qualification for licensure.

Quality Measurements

When evaluating doctor quality, it is best to look at many different measurements and make your decision based on several criteria. The following are some good quality measurements to include in your evaluation.

Board Certification

Find out if a Doctor is board certified in their specialty. Each medical specialty has a national board responsible for setting standards that doctors must meet in order to be certified. Board-certified doctors have finishd several years of training beyond medical school, have practiced for a designated number of years in that specialty, and have passed examinations in their specialty area.

Once certified, doctors must attend continuing medical education programs throughout their careers in order to remain certified. Some doctors have more than one board certification. Good doctors may not be board certified, but board certification is generally a good indicator of knowledge and professionalism.

Experience

Find out how many years a doctor has been practicing. Especially if you are choosing a specialist for a complex medical or surgical problem, the more experience the doctor has with the necessary procedures, the better the results will usually be. Ask how many times the doctor has performed the procedure that you may need. Compare that with the experience of other specialists.

Other

If you are choosing a doctor because you may need a specific surgery or treatment for a serious medical condition (heart disease, cancer, etc.), you should get as much quality information as you can related to how well the doctor's patients recover from these treatments or procedures. Upon request, many doctors will supply this information. For example, ask about mortality or complication rates following coronary bypass surgery. Ask about the 5-year survival rates for certain illnesses such as cancer. Ask about quality of life that can be expected following certain treatments. Compare these outcomes with those from other Doctors.

Customer Satisfaction

Personal Information

Is it essential to you to have a male or female doctor? Is there an age range into which you would prefer your doctor fall? Would you prefer that your doctor have a particular style or manner? If any of these issues are important to you, they should be some of the first questions you ask prospective doctors in order to narrow your choice.

Referrals

Get information about a doctor's style and manner from colleagues, friends, family or from your employer's benefits department. Nurses or other health care professionals are also good sources of doctor information. Seek their advice if possible.

Sanctions/Medical Board Actions

Has the doctor ever had any disciplinary actions taken against her/him? When a patient receives poor or questionable care from a doctor, they may file a formal complaint with the state medical board. State boards review and investigate complaints and, when appropriate, take some form of disciplinary action against doctors (letter of admonition, probation, suspension, negotiated agreement, license revocation, etc.).

Costs

Doctor charges vary. When comparing costs of different doctors, add up your total costs based on a typical year in your family's life. Include, if applicable:

• Co-payments (amount you pay for office visits or hospital services)
• Costs of any procedures or treatments not considered "reasonable and customary" by your insurance company which you will pay in full.

 Access

Location

Is the doctor's office conveniently located to your home and/or work? Is the office near public transportation? Is affordable parking available? For some people, receiving the absolute best care outweighs issues related to convenience, especially when finding a specialist for a serious medical problem. But many want a doctor fairly close and convenient to home and/or work.

Hours

What are the doctor's hours? Does the doctor make evening and/or weekend appointments? After you have established a relationship with the doctor, will he or she give advice over the phone? If you have a serious medical condition or problem, you may want a doctor that is easily accessible even during "off-hours."

Availability

Is the doctor taking on new patients? How long must you wait for a routine appointment? Does the doctor have a solo or group practice? If the doctor is part of a group, can you request to see your doctor when making an appointment? What is the doctor's availability in emergency situations? Does the doctor have partners who will see you when he or she is out of town?

No doctor is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is essential to find out who will provide your care when your doctor is unavailable, or if you will have a choice of doctors from within a group. Do you like and trust the other doctors who may be involved in your care?

Doctor Affiliation

Health Plan

when choosing a doctor, find out about the health plans in which he or she participates. Find out if the doctor is part of your insurance network. Many insurance plans provide a list of doctors included in their network, but these lists are frequently out of date. Always call the doctor in whom you are interested, to confirm that he or she will accept your insurance.

Hospital

Many doctors can only admit to certain hospitals. When choosing a doctor, find out the hospitals to which he or she may admit patients. If receiving care at a particular hospital is essential to you, make sure that the doctor you are considering can admit to that hospital. Also find out about the hospital affiliation(s) of any specialists to whom you may be referred.

Doctor "Interview"

Make an initial appointment with the doctor. Some doctors offer free consultation visits for prospective patients. At this appointment (as well as when setting up the appointment), there are numerous items that you may want to evaluate. Not all of these issues are vital to everyone, but prior to your appointment, decide what issues are important to you, and pay close attention to them on your visit.

Office and Staff

When you call the doctor office to ask initial questions or make your first appointment, is the person on the phone professional and competent? Are they friendly and eager to answer your questions, or do they come across harried and uninterested in helping you? The way you are treated on this call could be a good indicator of how you will be treated when you are a patient.

Entering the office, do you feel welcome? Is the waiting area comfortable and clean? Does the office seem too busy to you? Is the staff courteous and friendly? If you prefer a professional atmosphere, is the office too casual or relaxed? Do nurses or other health care professionals appear competent and caring? How long are you kept waiting before seeing the doctor?

Doctor

Are you comfortable with the general manner and treatment style of the doctor? Does he or she seem up to date on the latest treatment options in medicine? Is the doctor open to your concerns and comments? If you are seeing the doctor for a specific medical problem or concern, do you feel reassured by the doctor; do you feel confident in her/his advice? It is essential to have a "good fit" with your doctor and this visit is the time to evaluate your compatibility.

Checklist/Questions to Ask When Selecting A Doctor

• What medical school did the doctor attend?
• Is the doctor board certified?
• How many years has the doctor been practicing?
• If you may need a specific procedure or treatment for a serious medical problem, find out how many times the doctor has performed the procedure.
• Ask the doctor to provide any quality measurements (mortality rates, complication rates, 5-year survival rates, quality of life measurements, etc.) related to the procedure you may need.
• If important to you, check any personal information about the doctor (age, sex, religious affiliation, etc.).
• Ask friends, colleagues, and family for doctor recommendations.
• Seek doctor referrals from nurses or other healthcare professionals.
• Have any disciplinary actions been taken against the doctor?
• Carefully compare all costs between doctors.
• Is the doctor conveniently located?
• What are the doctor's hours?
• Is the doctor part of a group? Who will provide your care when the doctor is unavailable?
• Find out if a doctor is part of your insurance network or if they will accept your insurance.
• Call the doctor's office. Is the staff friendly and courteous?
• Is the office clean and comfortable?
• How long do you wait before seeing the doctor?
• Are you comfortable with the general manner and treatment style of the doctor? Do you feel compatible with the doctor?

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