If you have a primary doctor who makes you feel comfortable when you see them, it’s easy to take that for granted. Some people struggle to find this situation, though.
You might ask yourself how to find a doctor who makes you feel at ease. If you’re looking, we have suggestions that should hopefully put you on the right track.
Look for Reviews
Medical malpractice happens more frequently than you might think. Whether a doctor is under investigation is one of the first things you’ll want to know about when looking for a primary physician. You will also want to know if anyone ever filed a successful malpractice lawsuit against that doctor.
Someone might bring a medical malpractice lawsuit against a doctor if they operated on them and left an instrument or something else in the surgical site and sealed the patient up with that object still inside. They might bring a lawsuit against a doctor if that doctor gave them the wrong prescription and it harmed them.
They might bring a medical malpractice lawsuit if the doctor gave them the right prescription for their condition, but they accidentally gave them the wrong dosage. Many more situations can lead to medical malpractice lawsuits. If you do some online research and find out that someone ever made a charge like this against a doctor you are considering seeing, you will probably want to go with someone else.
What Else Can Reviews Tell You?
Maybe you will also find some doctor reviews that won’t tell you about a medical malpractice lawsuit, but they will reveal that former patients feel this doctor mistreated them. Maybe they’ll say this doctor seemed rude or distant.
You want a doctor who has a good bedside manner. If your doctor seems like they don’t want you as a patient, or you tell them what you’re feeling, and they dismiss that, you won’t want to stick with them. The correct doctor will pay attention to you.
Look for Doctors Who Cater to Specific Patients
Maybe you want a doctor who caters to specific population segments. For instance, perhaps you want a doctor who you can talk to because you’re a woman of color or you’re a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
If so, you might look on social media or to other sources to try and locate a online doctor who does well with the group to which you belong. If you can’t find helpful information online, you might also talk to your family members and friends about what doctor they use. Maybe they can give you some suggestions.
Try an Initial Visit
Maybe you’re able to locate a doctor who seems like they might fit you well. You see some positive reviews online, and you know they’re in your network. Finding a doctor who takes your insurance matters just as much as how you feel about them.
You can set up a first appointment to see them. While you are there, think about how the staff treats you. Do they treat you well, or do they rush you? Do they seem distant or stern?
Once you get to see the doctor, try to assess how they make you feel. Do you feel okay about how they talk to you, or do you feel uncomfortable speaking about certain things? If you have some medical questions for them, do they take the time to answer and explain their thinking, or do they gloss over key points?
Based on how that first visit goes, you may decide to stay with that doctor, or you may feel like it didn’t work so well, and you’ll need to look for someone else. A doctor might seem competent, but that does not necessarily mean that you want to see them again. In addition, you should feel like you established a rapport with them, and if you didn’t, that likely indicates you should keep looking.
You Need a Doctor Who Treats You Well
You should keep in mind that you deserve a doctor who treats you kindly and listens to what you say. There are many doctors, and some have excellent bedside manners, while others seem contemptuous of the individuals who they treat.
You don’t deserve that. You want a primary doctor who makes you feel comfortable and secure so that you can talk to them about anything troubling you. If you don’t find the right one the first time, you owe it to yourself to continue looking.
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