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Finding the Right Family Doctor for You

Finding a primary care physician can be a stressful task. You will be trusting your future health and well-being to your new doctor, so you want to make sure that you end up dealing with the best of the best. Choosing a new doctor is a highly personal choice. There are many different styles of care and personalities to wade through as you start your search.

It’s a good idea to do your research before you make a choice. Just like when you are trying to find a new dentist, choosing a family doctor should not be a decision to be made lightly. You may end up interviewing or having an office visit with several doctors before you find the right fit.

When you need to have the regular care of a personal doctor to deal with your ailments or injuries you want to make sure that you find a good match. If you are injured in an accident you want the best to represent you, like the pros at seattlemalpracticelawyers.com, in just the same way as you want to entrust your physical health to the right professional. Follow some of these guidelines to help you choose the family doctor that is right for you.

Recommendations

Talk to your family members, friends and even coworkers about their doctors and who they would recommend. Keep in mind that not everyone needs or wants the same things from a primary care physician. 

That being said, one person might rave about their doctor but that doesn’t mean that they are a good match for you. The best thing is to see if anyone knows if their doctor is accepting new patients and you can add them onto your research list.

Check Your Coverage

Your insurance coverage may only be accepted by a short list of doctors. This should be one of the first considerations as you pare down your choices. You can do an online search on your benefits provider’s  website for doctors near you that will work with your coverage. You can also use web tools like ZocDoc to help you find a doctor near you that is in your coverage network.

Quality Ratings

Your insurance provider should have records of each doctor that is available for your coverage. You can use these listings to check their qualifications, accreditation, and certification. You can also find out about their patient ratings and read reviews to help you get a feel of how others rate their experience.

Contact The Office

Once you have shortened your list of doctor candidates, you can start making cold calls to the offices. You can tell a lot about how a doctor runs his or her office by how you are greeted and treated by the office staff. You can ask the reception staff about any specialty areas, how prescriptions are processed and to make you an appointment for an initial consultation.

Office Visit

Before you make a decision about a new doctor it is vital that you meet with them in person. You should take the opportunity to speak with them one on one about your medical issues. The advantage of having a new doctor is being able to get specialized advice, unlike the kind that you may find with an online doctor platform

During your visit, you can check out how the office is run and get a gut feeling about the kind of treatment that you can expect. Your level of comfort is the most important factor that you will consider.

Conclusion

Choosing a doctor is a complex decision. If you do your research and take the time to visit a few candidates, you are more likely to end up with the right choice for you. Putting your health in the hands of another person requires trust and confidence. The doctor-patient relationship can last for years so choose a doctor that you can rely on to keep you in the best shape for many years to come.

Comments

  1. Mary A Ambrosino says

    So important to have the right doctor.

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