Tips on Choosing a Doctor

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, and health plan network lists.  Be sure to investigate the doctor's qualifications by reviewing the following:

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

Quality Measurements:  Board Certification; Years in Practice; Disciplinary actions by state medical boards and Medicare

Customer Satisfaction: personal attributes such as doctor gender and age; referrals from colleagues/friends

Location: Is the physician'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 physician fairly close and convenient to home and/or work.

Health Plan: When considering a physician, check the health plans in which s/he participates. Find out if the physician is part of your insurance network.

Hospital: Most physicians can only admit to certain hospitals. When considering a physician, find out the hospitals to which s/he may admit patients.

Sanctions/Medical Board Actions: Has the physician ever had any disciplinary actions taken against her/him? When a patient receives poor or questionable care from a physician, they may file a formal complaint with the state medical board.

Check Your Doctor's Quality