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To
Find A Good Doctor, Ask a Nurse: Advice From Medical
Insiders
Last week, I wrote about the ways doctors deal with
their own personal health issues and what we can learn from them.
As the ultimate insiders in the health-care system, I argued, they
have a built-in advantage over the rest of us for finding the best
care.
The column prompted an outpouring of mail from physicians around
the country. Many agreed with the advice, some found it off-base,
while others had more to add.
Several doctors said that the most important thing you can do for
your own health is to build a relationship with a primary care
doctor - something many doctors themselves fail to do. "It's
important to get a doctor before an emergency arises," wrote
Lost Angeles physician Carol K. Kasper. "A person shouldn't
put it off because he feels healthy. In an emergency, one get
better care faster by saying, "I'm Dr. Blank's
patient..."
CHECKING UP: Some resources for finding and learning about doctors
and hospitals:
bestdoctors.com - Database of doctor-recommended doctors
ama-assn.org - Find a doctor or look up his or her credentials
abms.org - Find our if your doctor is certified in a recognized
specialty.
healthgrades.com - Rates hospitals for various procedures.
docinfo.org - Access to disciplinary reports from state medical
boards.
My suggestion that patients find a doctor who has hospital
privileges at a respected teaching hospital generated a slew of
responses from doctors.
"Academic hospitals are not for everyone," wrote Houston
otolaryngologist Mary Talley Bowden, "They are often more
research-and-resident-training-friendly, than patient-friendly. I
prefer to go to a community-based hospital that is
service-oriented for most medical problems and save my referrals
or personal visits to the teaching hospital for rare or unusually
complicated medical problems.
Cincinnati pathologist, Lawrence M. Unger offered additional tips
for choosing the right hospital. "I suggested visiting a
potential hospital to see if the emergency room operates
efficiently," he wrote. "Is the hospital kept clean, do
small items like water fountains and the floor indicators on
elevators work? Find out if the nursing service is fully staffed,
as well, he recommends.
Indeed, several doctors focused on the importance of nurses. When
choosing a hospital, it need not be a medical school teaching
hospital, but more importantly, one with a good nursing staff,
"wrote House gastroenterologist John R. Mathias. "It is
not doctors who get people well. It is the care of the nurses that
get people well."
Several doctors shared their own frustrations with the medical
system, providing the point that doctors, like all patients, must
be diligent in seeking the best care.
Houston obstetrician Mark Jacobs says is own experiences as both a
patient and a doctor have taught him that once you've chosen the
best doctor and the best hospital, you still need to pay attention
to the care you or your family member receives.
Always have a family member stay with you during a hospital
stay." wrote Dr. Jacobs. "If things don't seem like they
are going well, there's a strong likelihood that they aren't. Do
not be afraid to speak up and don't be afraid to ask for a second
opinion."
(Health Journal~by Tara Parker-Pope~
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