12/02/2021
One of the most important decisions of our life is finding the right healthcare provider for us and our family members dependent on us. Whether a primary care physician, a specialist or even an Urgent Care Center for a quick visit, we are putting our loved ones' lives in their hand.
Here are some tips to help you select the right healthcare provider for any of your healthcare needs, even when you are far away from home.
A quick Google search will show you the doctors in your area for any specific specialties you need. You can shortlist the providers based on whether they accept your payment options for their services (health insurance, HMO, etc.) and the geographical distance that you would be willing to cover to see the right provider for your needs.
The next step should be a quick check of the online reputation of the providers on your list. There are several review platforms where you check healthcare providers’ reputations. Patients' key review platforms to share their experience with healthcare providers are Google, HealthGrades, WebMD, Vitals, RateMD, Yelp, & Facebook. Ensure that you have a good picture of how patients rate the providers by checking reviews on more than one platform because very few providers have reviews on all platforms.
The factors to look for are:
It is important to verify the qualifications & experience of physicians on your list before selecting one. You should:
Here is also a quick checklist on what to look for before scheduling an appointment, apart from the doctor:
If you use all the tips mentioned above, searching for a good doctor will give you great outputs. However, if you can still not make a decision, use ScoreDoc, a key tool to help patients choose quality healthcare providers. It's an easy-to-access, convenient information source that briefs you about healthcare providers' quality by analyzing online reviews of the providers on all important review platforms.
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