Tips for Finding the Best Family Doctor

Naturally, you want the best healthcare options possible for you and your family. That’s why your choice of family doctor is such an important decision. Your chosen doctor should not only be suitably knowledgeable and supportive enough to give you the best service and care, they will often act as a conduit for arranging the best treatment options, when needed.

Someone like Integris Health can also prove invaluable to your family’s health options, as this sort of organization has the resources and know-how to put you in touch with all the right medical professionals, such as doctors.

When it comes to finding the best family doctor for your needs, here are some essential tips to help you make the right choice.

Always take your time to do some research

Having already stressed how important it is to find the right family doctor; it therefore makes sense to research all of your options before making your final decision.

When you consider that the number of recognized family doctors in the US exceeds 80,000 in number, you can quickly appreciate that it might prove challenging trying to narrow down the candidates.

Location and qualifications are relevant factors. It also helps to use a reputable website that has a track record of excellence and can put you in touch with a suitable family doctor.

Someone like this will have done the research and used customer feedback to ensure that quality standards are consistently maintained with their recommendations.

Check with your insurer

Another good source of verification would be your medical insurance provider. Patient satisfaction surveys are also available. They can be useful to get actual feedback from existing patients.

Ask a healthcare professional

If you are moving to a new area, this can make it even trickier to find a suitable family doctor, as you have no local knowledge to help you.

Local healthcare professionals in the area, such as a pharmacist, for instance, could prove useful in giving you some names of local family doctors that they know and trust.

Check your doctor offers everything you need

If you have some underlying health issues or feel that access to additional health services could be beneficial, it is worth verifying the scope of the health services being offered by a family doctor you are considering.

As you age, it’s almost inevitable that you will have a greater need to access more medical services and options. If you find a family doctor that can act as a gateway to diagnostic services, inhouse specialisms such as physical therapy, or podiatry, for example, this could be advantageous.

Another popular option for these days is telehealth. This option could be useful if you anticipate an issue with making regular visits to your family doctor, for logistical or health reasons.

Check for any potential restrictions with your insurer

If you intend to use private health insurance, it’s advisable to contact your insurer and check whether your plan requires you to choose a doctor from a pre-approved list.

It’s best to check with your insurer and confirm your options. It would also be a good idea to verify with your doctor that they accept the health plan you are using. 

Don’t make assumptions on accreditations and qualifications

Although it would seem perfectly reasonable to assume that the family doctor you are thinking of registering with has all the right qualifications and accreditation, it is always worth checking.

It doesn’t take long to verify that your family doctor is board certified. It also helps to confirm that they have the right skills for your needs, if you have more complex health needs, or live with a chronic condition.

Verifying a doctor’s professional qualifications will give you that extra peace of mind.

Be focused on what matters to you from a health perspective

We are all uniquely individual. Although we may share certain physical ailments and conditions that other patients may have, the bottom line is that we all tend to have slightly different and individual needs and priorities.

That’s why it is relevant to think carefully about what really matters to you from a healthcare perspective. It could be that you want to be able to access your doctor on a same-day basis, for instance.

Make a list of your key priorities and confirm if your chosen family doctor is well placed to meet those needs.

Schedule a personal visit

It is often much more reassuring to visit your family doctor practice in person before signing up. You get a feel for the place and the professional people there.

If you feel comfortable and everyone appears welcoming and efficient, that can give you peace of mind and help validate your choice of doctor.

Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you want

Choosing a family doctor is an important decision. It has direct consequences on your ability to access the best care and treatment options available. 

For that reason, you should not be dissuaded from asking all the questions that you feel are relevant and will help you make an informed choice. As well as asking pertinent health related questions, you should ask yourself how you felt in terms of the responses you got from your doctor.

Did they explain things well, and did you feel comfortable talking to them?

These sorts of things are highly relevant, as you will be developing a personal relationship with this person.

You instinctively know when you have found the right doctor

Last but not least, you can ask all the right questions and check all of the paperwork necessary, but there is one last part of the process that can often prove to be just as critical.

It is often wise to trust your instincts. If you feel that your doctor is going to provide you with all the right care and support you need, and you feel comfortable in their presence, that can count for a lot.

If you work your way through all of these important considerations, you should be well placed to make an informed decision and find a family doctor that is right for you.