What Makes a Good Doctor?

Unfortunately, many people stick with their doctors even when they aren’t the best. Yes, you can make an appointment with them and they’ll tell you what’s wrong, but are they really caring and personally attentive to your needs?

The National Patient Safety Foundation and Consumer Reports have a list of suggestions when choosing a good doctor.

1. Good doctors take care of you right away. You may not need to go in immediately if you have a simple cold, but if you are worried about your symptoms and aren’t feeling well, you should be seen right away.

2. Test results should be given when they have been promised, in a timely manner and by your doctor and not their assistants. Good doctors provide personalized care.

3. Good doctors inform you. They tell you about the medicine they are recommending, the side effects and possible drug interactions. They want you to feel knowledgeable and in control of your health.

4. Good doctors provide information in a way that you can understand. They make you feel at ease and answer your questions in simple language.

If you already have a doctor, do they meet these requirements? If not, it might be time to look elsewhere. Another consideration to keep in mind, as well, is whether or not your physician is actually willing to listen to what you have to say.

Example: I have been to internist appointments and have attempted to explain, on differnt occasions, my symptoms and/or the reactions I have had to a particular medication. The typical response? An impatient setting of the jaw and something approximating a "glassy-eyed" look.

Of course, that's not to be unexpected, I suppose. Physicians tend to see a large number of patients on a daily basis, and some of them include neurotics and hypochondriacs. Just the same, however, a physician who gets fails to be attentive to the subjective reports of his own patients is unnecessarily discarding useful information, information that may potentially in rendering an effective treatment plan.






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