No doctor wants you to leave their practice. If you’re a patient of mine, I certainly don’t.
But real life happens.
If you or someone you know has to move for family or work reasons—far enough that your doctor doesn’t know someone to recommend—here’s a 4-step process for finding a good physician in your new home.
1. Personal recommendations are the BEST
If you’re new to an area but have family or friends there, do they gush about someone?
What you’re looking for is a glowing testimonial.
If Dr. John Smith is the best doctor they’ve ever had, find out what they liked about his personality, his office staff, and how he treated them.
There’s no better review than the opinion of someone you trust.
2. Contact your hospital’s MSO
If you don’t know a local, call the hospital your insurance has assigned to you (it’s printed on your insurance card) and get the number for the hospital’s MSO: the Medical Staff Office.
Every hospital has one. The MSO lists doctors who’ve passed a credentialing check, with information about their office locations and special skills.
3. Ask for primary care physicians
If you already know you need a specialist — say, the move interrupted your course of treatment — request a list of names in that field.
Otherwise, ask for a list of primary care physicians, or PCPs.
Primary care doctors have the widest experience with real-world medical problems; 9 times out of 10, they can diagnose and treat you on the spot, whether for cuts, sprains, infections, diabetes, or heart disease. And if you require advanced testing or specialist care, they know the facilities and the best specialists.
If you have any special requests, let the MSO know.
If you need the office to understand a foreign language or have experience with adolescents, athletes, or any other particular need, the MSO can likely point you to specific doctors.
4. Look at their online reviews
The most-used review sites for doctors are Google, HealthGrades, WebMD, and Yelp.
But most doctors are still old school and ignore reviews. Your local pizza joint probably works harder to generate fair and plentiful word of mouth.
A great doctor may have a handful of reviews, with an overall rating stilted by one or two bad ones. But if there are lots of great or poor reviews, that should help you narrow down your final selection.
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