Finding the right healthcare provider can be a strenuous and stressful task. It’s important that you establish a good relationship with your provider. Here are 5 tips to consider when choosing your healthcare provider!
1. Do they listen? It’s important that your provider listens. It’s often that through discussion of symptoms providers can determine a more optimal diagnostic plan that will lead to the most appropriate diagnosis.
2. Do they assess you? Ask yourself why you are there, and then ask yourself if your provider fully assessed your complaints. For instance, if you are seeing your cardiologist do you expect them to listen to your heart with a stethoscope? You should! A thorough assessment has many times led me to choose the right diagnostics that gave us the right diagnosis. If you are attending an in person evaluation from a provider, you deserve an appropriate assessment.
3. Do they value your time? Most offices expect you to value theirs. They will even go as far to reschedule you if you’re 15 minutes late. I am not opposed to this rule as it’s important to value our time as much as it is to value yours. However, if you are consistently waiting 45-60 minutes or longer every time you go to the doctor then your time is not valued. It is likely that their patient load is too heavy and you should find a provider with more time to meet your health needs.
4. Do they frown upon a second opinion? Does your providers EGO get bruised when a second opinion is mentioned? If so, you should consider seeking healthcare elsewhere. I am a huge fan of a second opinion. For one, if a second opinion would make my patient more at ease with their treatment plan, then I would highly recommend it. Secondly, what if I did miss something? We are all human! It is never wrong to seek a second opinion when it comes to your health. My ego is not what’s important here, your health is.
5. Do they teach you what YOU can do to better your health? Most often a lifestyle change will solve your problem. If you are not having this discussion, you should be.