Choosing a Doctor

Your own level of comfort should be the first guide in your decision to schedule surgery or any treatment with a specific physician. How does he or she make you feel? Do they listen to your questions; attempt to answer them in a way that is easy to understand? Other patients and physicians can also be good resources for your evaluation.

Other Patients

Other patients can often give an overall impression of a physician. Often these opinions are based on that patient's own comfort level with the physician and their personal medical outcome. If you are referred to a patient from the physician you are evaluating try to speak with another patient whose name was not given to you by the physician you are looking at. By speaking with more than one patient, you should be able to get a somewhat "un-biased" opinion. In any case, be sure to not base your entire evaluation on the sole opinion of one patient.

Suggested Questions:

• Was the doctor's office staff courteous and cooperative? (This is a very important point, because usually you will be dealing with these people more than you will be dealing with the doctor.)
• Did the doctor take enough time, both in treating and in explaining things to patients and their families?
• Did patients feel confidence in the doctor's expertise?
• Was the doctor difficult to reach, especially after surgery?
• Would your friend or acquaintance return to this doctor for care?

Other Physicians

It may be difficult to get another physician to give an opinion of one of their peers. It is possible that they could be sued for slander if they were to speak negatively about another physician. However, a good rule of thumb is most physicians are very willing to give a good opinion of a physician they feel confident about, and have a tendency to be vague about those they do not.

Another good measuring tool, when evaluating a physician, is to find out how many of these procedure he or she performs every year. However, be careful because numbers can be misleading. Be sure to find out what constitutes a large number of that particular operation, because it can vary from procedure to procedure.

Second Opinions

When you are trying to make a decision concerning surgery, the more information you gather beforehand, the more comfortable you and your family will be. Most physicians will not be offended if you decide to ask another physician for a second opinion. If you have any doubts, you should not hesitate to ask for one, and most physicians will be more than happy to refer you to another doctor in order for you to obtain a second opinion.

The materials on this Web site are for your general educational information only. Information you read on this Web site cannot replace the relationship that you have with your health care professional. We do not practice medicine or provide medical services or advice as a part of this Web site. You should always talk to your health care professional for diagnosis and treatment.

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