By Anita Neal Harrison
A checklist for choosing the right doctor
Choosing a doctor who will meet one’s expectations is a whole lot easier with a clear notion of what those expectations are. This list of considerations — created with input from local doctors Garry Pearson, D.O., with St. Mary’s Health Center, and Randall Haight, M.D., Capital Region’s chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs — will equip patients to choose the right health care providers for them.
- Insurance. Is this doctor a covered provider through my insurance?
- Credentials. Is the doctor board certified or board eligible? These are important credentials demonstrating competence. In general, look for board certified, but know doctors who have been practicing for decades might instead be board eligible, which is no cause for alarm.
- Your role as the patient. How much do I want to be able to collaborate, and how much do I want the doctor to take the lead?
- Communication. Do the doctor and I “click”? Is communication uninhibited? Is there mutual respect? Do I feel comfortable asking this doctor questions? Does the doctor explain decisions so that I feel comfortable with them?
- The provider’s team. Who else might provide me care? Does the office have nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and if so, when might I expect to see them instead of the doctor?
- The provider’s approach. Does the doctor order a lot of tests? Does the office offer in-house X-rays and labs? Does the doctor have a conservative or aggressive approach to treatment? Do you prefer a doctor focused on disease treatment or wellness and prevention?
- The role of outside health care providers. How does this doctor feel about patients seeking second opinions (doctors should not discourage seeking second opinions)? Does the provider refer to other specialists frequently or infrequently?
- Open access. Is there open access, meaning I can get in for urgent issues? What is the likelihood of getting into the doctor (or nurse practitioner or physician assistant) within 24 hours of calling?
- After hours. Where would I go for care after hours and on weekends? Is there an answering service to page the provider?
- The office staff. Is the office staff friendly and helpful? Is it easy to reach staff? Are calls returned within a reasonable timeframe? Does the office use email?
Additional source: nlm.nih.gov.
What’s the difference between a D.O. and an M.D.?
D.O. stands for doctor of osteopathic medicine, and M.D. stands for allopathic physicians. Both kinds of doctors complete four years of medical school. D.O.s then receive an additional 300 to 500 hours of training in hands-on manual medicine and the musculoskeletal system.
According to MedlinePlus, a National Institutes of Health website: “Osteopathic medicine is dedicated to treating and healing the patient as a whole rather than focusing on one system or body part. An osteopathic physician will often use a treatment method called osteopathic manipulative treatment (also called OMT or manipulation), a hands-on approach to make sure that the body is moving freely. This free motion ensures that all of your body’s natural healing systems are able to work unhindered.”
“More than half of osteopathic physicians practice in primary care specialties: family medicine, internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology,” says Cindy Leahy, D.O., JCMG Family Medicine. “Many fill a critical need for physicians in rural and medically underserved areas. The main difference between the two types of physicians (M.D. and D.O.) is that D.O.s receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system and have been specifically trained to perform osteopathic manipulations on patients.”
Because both D.O.s and M.D.s practice standard care, choosing between them is just a matter of personal preference. Patients can focus on choosing doctors whose care feels right to them rather than getting hung up on the D.O. and M.D. labels.
“There used to be a fairly wide difference in training and practice style for M.D.s and D.O.s,” says George Carr, M.D., JCMG Family Medicine. “However, due to federal regulations specifying that all physicians complete residencies, there is not much of a difference any longer. Although many of the D.O.s in the past were general practitioners, now many also complete training to become specialists. At JCMG the M.D.s and D.O.s are integrated and practice basically the same. We work very well together.”
Is homeopathic medicine for you?
Whereas osteopathic medicine — the care provided by D.O.s — is standard care, homeopathic medicine falls under complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM. The National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, nccam.nih.gov, offers this description of homeopathic medicine: “The term homeopathy comes from the Greek words “homeo,” meaning similar, and “pathos,” meaning suffering or disease. Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, there is little evidence to support homeopathic medicine as an effective treatment for any specific condition, and challenges and controversies surround the field. Patients who receive any complementary and alternative medicine should tell their health care providers to ensure coordinated and safe care.
Who can serve as a primary care provider?
A primary care provider (PCP) is a main health care provider in non-emergency situations. Patients benefit from having a trusting, ongoing relationship with one medical professional. Various medical professionals can serve as a primary care provider, including:
- Family practitioners, whose practices include children and adults of all ages and may include obstetrics and minor surgery.
- Pediatricians, whose practices include the care of newborns, infants, children and adolescents.
- Internists, who specialize in internal medicine and whose practices include the care of adults of all ages for diverse medical problems.
- Obstetricians/gynecologists, most often for women of childbearing age.
- Nurse practitioners (N.P.) and physician assistants (P.A.), who go through a different training and certification process than doctors. Although nurse practitioners and physician assistants might be the key contact in some practices, all of them consult with physicians.
Source: MedlinePlus, nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus.
