Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 19, 1995 TAG: 9504190038
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But I also had another health experience recently that was not so satisfying. My gynecologist was so booked that she couldn't see me for at least three months.
Now that would be OK if her office sent a reminder that it's time to book the appointment for the annual tests. That way, we'd be partners in my preventive health care. This way, I'm just a customer who can take it or leave it.
Matching up with the right doctor sometimes isn't easy, though. The adjacent graphic, done in the spirit of Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," suggests reasons to quit a doctor. Following are some things to help you select one to flee to; both sets of information are from "Castle Connolly Pocket Guide: How To Find the Best Doctors, Hospitals and HMOs for You and Your Family" ($9.95 at most bookstores or can be ordered from 800 399-3627).
There are four areas to be concerned with in selecting a primary-care physician - professional preparation, professional reputation, office and practice arrangements and professional bedside manner, the book says.
More specifically, a doctor who works as a specialist should be certified in that specialty, although that's not required. The American Board of Medical Specialties is a good certification to look for. Professional reputation refers to hospital appointments, medical school faculty appointments, medical society membership and experience.
The physician's office location is a consideration. So are the answers to these questions:
On average, how long does a patient have to wait for an appointment?
Does the doctor accept patient phone calls?
Is the office open on weekends, in the morning and evenings?
Does the doctor accept Medicare, Medicaid, workers comp? Credit cards? Which ones?
Will the doctor care for a patient in the home?
And lastly, the most important information relates to bedside manner. Is the doctor patronizing or does he or she treat a patient as an intelligent adult? Does he or she listen to the patient?
The American Medical Association has a booklet, "Choosing Your Physician," that addresses some of the same points and goes further. The AMA said a physician should discuss and explain fees and billing practices with you and even explain how fees are determined.
Other questions, the AMA suggests asking:
How do you feel about involving the patient's family in the decision-making process? How do you feel about "living wills" or other advance directives? If I were diagnosed with a serious illness and asked you not to tell my family, what would you do? Do you always get patient permission before releasing records? What would you want to know about me, other than my medical history and current health? (The doctor should be asking some intimate details, such as whether you drink or smoke, how is your marriage, if you are happy in your job and if your sex life is OK.)
And, finally, back to my concern about a doctor's role in preventive health care or health maintenance. The AMA suggests that prospective patients determine if a doctor schedules regular annual checkups, and what kind of follow-up the physician does after treatment.
For a copy of the AMA booklet, send a stamped, self-addressed legal-size envelope to American Medical Association, 515 North State St., Chicago, Ill. 60610, Attention: Tamara Washington.
Kelly can be reached at (703) 981-3393, at sandrakinfi.net, or by writing her at P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491.
by CNB