Choosing a Doctor: Finding the Right Physician for you and Your Condition
by: AFAnswers.com staff
After you are diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, it’s likely you’ll need to find a specialist to discuss treatment options for your condition. This specialist may be a cardiologist – a heart specialist – or an electrophysiologist – a specialist in the relationship between the heart’s electric activity and its function.
When choosing a physician, you should search for a specialist who meets your specific needs. While selecting a doctor should depend largely on your comfort level with him or her, some amount of research should be done to successfully choose a physician who is right for you. Some of the things you should consider when conducting research are:
Academic history
Where a physician was educated may be more important to some individuals than to others. Still, understanding the type of degrees or areas of focus for their education may allow you to identify physicians that may have a better history or understanding of a particular disease.
Board certification
There are many boards, societies and associations that certify physicians in a particular field or specialty, however each may have their own set of certification requirements. Understanding those requirements in addition to their length of certification can help a patient choose a reputable doctor in a particular field.
Level of experience
Evaluating experience can include measuring the total years of practice or years practicing in the specialized field (cardiology or electrophysiology), depending on your personal preference. You may also want to consider how you want to measure experience; whether it includes years of practice, number of patients treated or the physician’s level of involvement in clinical research specific to a particular disease.
Continuing medical education
Individuals in the medical field continue their education long after they’ve received their degrees and certifications to practice in their field. Investigating where and how often the physician receives additional training may be an important factor in evaluating the experience of a physician. You may also want to understand how he or she keeps up with changes in treatment options, by conducting an informational interview with the physician.
Hospital affiliations
Many patients find that a physician’s hospital affiliation is important to them. You may be partial to a particular hospital or clinic, or may be restricted to particular hospital systems for insurance reasons.
As a patient, you may feel that the kind of institution can also indicate the type of care you may receive. For example, you may search for a physician in a private practice, a public hospital or a more academic setting. Each institution has its advantages and disadvantages, and your choice depends on your preference for treatment.
Associational affiliations
There are many different associations and societies that physicians can be a part of. This may or may not be important to you, but if it is, you should research the membership criteria for the appropriate groups.
Personal comfort level
Again, your personal comfort level can weigh greatly in your search for a physician. It’s essential to keep in mind the importance of feeling comfortable with your physician. Your doctor’s willingness to listen and discuss your condition with you, ease of care, convenience of care and location of the clinic or hospital can all be factors in choosing a doctor that best suits your needs.
Some other questions you may want to consider include:
- What are the doctor’s office hours?
- Who should I contact in an emergency? What are the back-up plans if I cannot contact the specified individual?
- What is the average wait time for appointments? How far in advance do I need to make appointments?
- How many patients does the physician see per hour? How much time should I expect with the physician?
- How far am I willing to travel for appointments?
- Does my insurance plan cover this physician?
- How am I treated by the rest of the staff? Does the doctor’s staff (or hospital staff) make me feel comfortable?
- Do I feel comfortable asking questions? Does the physician take time to answer and explain the answers to these questions?
- What is the physician’s philosophy on patient care? How involved in the treatment decision making process will I be?
- Do I prefer a personal relationship approach or a more professional approach?
Additional Resources
There are several resources online that can help start your search for a new physician:
American Board of Medical Specialties – The ABMS can help you understand board certification and find a certified physician in a particular specialty. The organization is located online at http://www.abms.org/
American Medical Association – The Doctor Finder feature at http://www.ama-assn.org/ provides information on every licensed physician in the United States.
WebMD – WebMD often has physician directories available that allow you to find specialists in your area. They’re located online at http://www.webmd.com/
Insurance portals – If you’re concerned about finding a physician that is covered by your insurance policy, insurance providers commonly have directories available in print or online as means to begin your search. Contact your insurance provider for more information or inquire whether a directory is available.
Published: January 1, 2007
