Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: July 11, 2024
“Don’t Walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.” -Albert Camus
Dear Red Hot Mamas,
If we remodel our kitchen or bathroom, we usually do not hire the first contractor that is recommended. We never decide to hire a contractor first without consulting with him or her. But some of us seem to pick doctors from lists sight unseen because looking for a new doctor sometimes can be overwhelming and a daunting task. There are steps you should consider taking before selecting a doctor in whom you will invest your health.
To find a doctor who is right for you might consider doing the following:
Making a list as to what is important to you to include what you want in a doctor and what you expect that person to do for you. Some common traits to look for is a doctor that is a good listener and is up to date on the literature, within your insurance network, and has visiting privileges at your nearby hospital.
Gather recommendations from people you trust. And do not be intimidated to ask other doctors who they use as doctors. Doctors usually do not mind sharing names and reasons why they are good doctors. Once you have a doctor that you are considering handling your healthcare, you might also want to log onto The Federation of State Medical Boards www.fsmb.org to learn more about a specific physician.
The next step you might consider taking is to set up a consultation with the doctor you have chosen. When calling the office, you might want to tell the receptionist that you want to skip the physical evaluation as you would like to sit with the doctor just for a few minutes and ask a few questions before making a decision whether this doctor will be the one you choose for your care. You might want to ask “Has it been difficult for you to spend enough time with your patients and if it has, how have you dealt with it?” “What is your availability like and if you are unavailable at certain times do you have a partner that covers you?” “What is involved in your typical physical exam based on my age and medical history?”
In closing, when choosing a doctor, be a savvy consumer and always make your health a priority.
Good Health to You All,
Karen Giblin
