Friday, February 08, 2008
Choosing a Family Doctor
When we aren't feeling quite right, usually the first person we'd consider seeing is our family doctor. Of course, if you need emergency care, you may choose to go to a hospital, but once you've been treated they will ask you to see your family doctor in a follow-up visit.
Because they are so important to you, a family doctor needs to be someone who is interested in your health, both in and out of the office. Of course the doctor can't be on call at all hours just for you, but you should feel that you aren't just a number to them. You need to feel you can trust the doctor, and that you are sincerely cared about.
So how do you find a good family doctor? The easiest way is to use the family doctor of your parents as your own, for your family. But suppose you move away. Well then perhaps your old family doctor can recommend a doctor in your new hometown. But it's unlikely. One good way to find a doctor is to search the internet for family doctors in your town or state. Another idea is to look online for a clinic near you. Also there are referral services online, that can help you find doctors in your area who would fulfill your needs.
Or you can look online for your community, for their chamber of commerce website. Pretty much all towns have one. And they will have listings of doctors. Of course if you have HMO insurance, you may be limited to which doctors you can choose. So then you would need to check the insurance website for doctors they will allow.
Hopefully you'll soon find a doctor that accepts new patients. Once you do, you can go for an ordinary checkup, and see if you like the doctor. While there, you can find out about services they offer, and what hours they are around. If you have a spouse and/or kids, you should have them see if they like the new doctor too. When you see the doctor, you'll find out how long they will see you that day, and how thorough they are with an exam. Also how caring and knowledgeable the doctor seems.
Also when you make the appointment, see how soon you can see the doctor. If it takes a month or more to get an appointment, then that doctor might not be the one for you. And once your there, you can see how long the waits are. Some people don't like waiting half the day to see the doctor.
The main thing to remember is, there is no law that says you have to see a particular doctor if you don't like them. There a lots of physicians in the US, who speak the same language as you and practice near your home. And there's a better than average chance that if you keep searching, you will eventually find a doctor you enjoy and who is helpful for your health concerns.
Because they are so important to you, a family doctor needs to be someone who is interested in your health, both in and out of the office. Of course the doctor can't be on call at all hours just for you, but you should feel that you aren't just a number to them. You need to feel you can trust the doctor, and that you are sincerely cared about.
So how do you find a good family doctor? The easiest way is to use the family doctor of your parents as your own, for your family. But suppose you move away. Well then perhaps your old family doctor can recommend a doctor in your new hometown. But it's unlikely. One good way to find a doctor is to search the internet for family doctors in your town or state. Another idea is to look online for a clinic near you. Also there are referral services online, that can help you find doctors in your area who would fulfill your needs.
Or you can look online for your community, for their chamber of commerce website. Pretty much all towns have one. And they will have listings of doctors. Of course if you have HMO insurance, you may be limited to which doctors you can choose. So then you would need to check the insurance website for doctors they will allow.
Hopefully you'll soon find a doctor that accepts new patients. Once you do, you can go for an ordinary checkup, and see if you like the doctor. While there, you can find out about services they offer, and what hours they are around. If you have a spouse and/or kids, you should have them see if they like the new doctor too. When you see the doctor, you'll find out how long they will see you that day, and how thorough they are with an exam. Also how caring and knowledgeable the doctor seems.
Also when you make the appointment, see how soon you can see the doctor. If it takes a month or more to get an appointment, then that doctor might not be the one for you. And once your there, you can see how long the waits are. Some people don't like waiting half the day to see the doctor.
The main thing to remember is, there is no law that says you have to see a particular doctor if you don't like them. There a lots of physicians in the US, who speak the same language as you and practice near your home. And there's a better than average chance that if you keep searching, you will eventually find a doctor you enjoy and who is helpful for your health concerns.
# posted by Medical Information : 2:05 AM
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