| By :
Mark Etinger
It can be extraordinarily difficult and frustrating to get quality health care, even with health insurance. Scheduling an appointment and making sure that all of the costs that are incurred will be paid by an insurance company is tricky too. Doctors used to be recommended via word of mouth, but today most people find doctors online. But, that allows for a different set of guidelines to follow when choosing a sawbones. The first step in finding a good doctor is determining what you need. If it's a specialist, you'll want to look in a different area than if you need a primary care doctor. Then, consider whether you need her for the long term or the short term. Next, look at the reviews. Make sure that the sites you check are varied and diverse so that you get an accurate sense of who she is and what she's like. Google, The HealthGrades web site, and if you live in a large city, Checkbook.org, are all good places to visit (the latter two require payment, but are much more reliable). Are the reviews specific and do they make sense? Check for patterns. If all the reviews have similar praise or similar censure, you'll probably know what to do. Remember that most people who write reviews fall onto either side of the spectrum. If you have a satisfactory visit with a doctor, you're probably not going to review him online as the first thing you do upon arriving home. Other factors to consider are location and hours. If it's a three hour drive to see a reputed specialist, you may have to determine whether or not it's worth it. Is the doctor in a group practice or does she work solo? Most group practices tend to have better resources and are more up with the times - the use of electronic records is a plus, for example. You can also check with your insurance company if you need kidney dialysis or short term rehab. There used to be concern as to whether they would give you the name of a cheaper doctor over a good one, but most experts agree that today they are reliable. Ultimately, to have a good doctor takes a lot of research. But, this is an important relationship. It may be stressful now, but in the end, finding a quality doctor will be well worth it. Remember, breathe deep, bring a good book to the waiting room, and be friendly - she could very well save your life.
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