Tips for Choosing a New Doctor

Finding a doctor you feel comfortable with is very important. If you don’t feel comfortable having a conversation with your doctor or see eye-to-eye it can be daunting going in for a checkup or a health issue. Not all doctors are the same and with some shopping around you can find one you feel at ease with. Here are a few tips for finding the right doctor for you:

  1. Ask for recommendations. Family members and friends can give you referrals to doctors and can give you some insight on what they are like and how they work. It can be comforting to know others feel at ease with their doctor. You can also ask any other healthcare provider you know and feel comfortable asking for a recommendation. They might already understand your needs and can suggest doctors who are a good fit. If you get a few names sometimes you can even check reviews online. Or if you’re moving, you can ask your current doctor a recommendation for a provider in your new location.
  2. Make a list of in-network doctors. Depending on your insurance, your plan may limit which physicians you can see. When you select an in-network provider you’re avoiding any surprise “out-of-network” fees or denials. If you are a member of The Health Plan, you can find which providers are covered under your plan by using The Health Plan’s FindaDoc tool. This tool allows you to narrow your search based on location, specialty, certifications and more!
  3. Look for a doctor that meets your needs. There are different types of primary care physicians to choose from such as a family practice, internal medicine or general practice. For children, there are pediatricians who specialize in child care. A family practice physician treats patients of all ages (newborn to elderly). They treat a wide variety of conditions and often treat ailments that you’d normally need a specialist for, such as a sports injury or women’s health needs. Physicians who treat adults and specialize in the prevention, diagnosis and management of diseases and chronic conditions are labeled as internal medicine doctors. A general practitioner (GP), is similar to family practice physicians and can treat patients of any gender or age. You can also find osteopaths that are general practitioners, these doctor’s practice alternative medicine with a focus on the musculoskeletal system and are distinguished by having a “D.O.” after their name instead of “M.D.”
  4. Consider the logistics. Consider the drive you will have to make to your appointments and their office hours, these are both important to your accessibility of the doctor. How long will you have to wait for an appointment after you call and if you have an urgent health issue can you get in the same day?
  5. Speak or visit with the doctor. There is no better way to find out if a doctor is going to be a good fit for you than if you have a conversation with them. So once you narrow down your list of referred doctors, then the ones that are in your network, to the one(s) that best fits your needs give them a call or visit!

Getting established with a primary care doctor (PCP) and having a yearly well visit is one of the best things you can do to take charge of your health and stay up-to-date with yearly screenings and vaccinations. Are you established with a PCP? Have you had a well-visit this year? If the answer is “no” then consider taking charge of your preventive health care by checking those two items off your to-do list!