How To Choose the Right Doctor for Chronic Disease Care
Takeaways
Asking yourself the following questions will help you find a doctor that’s best suited for your unique needs, preferences, and situation:
Do I need a primary care doctor or a specialist doctor?
Does my insurance/benefits cover the provider?
Is it convenient to seek care from the provider?
Am I looking for ongoing support even outside of clinic visits?
What’s the provider’s care philosophy? Is it aligned with what I'm looking for?
Can I connect with or trust the provider? Am I comfortable with the members of the doctor’s care team (e.g., receptionists, dietitians, and health coaches)?
Does the doctor have the experience and specialization I need? Do they have a clean track record?
Choosing the right doctor can be a real challenge. You may ask for recommendations from your family, friends, and colleagues, or even look up review websites. While these are good ways to get started, ultimately you will have to decide which doctor is best suited for your unique needs, preferences, and situation. Here are some tips to help you choose the right doctor for you.
What is the right type of doctor for your condition and needs?
You will first need to decide what type of doctor is appropriate for your condition and needs. Are you in need of a primary care doctor or a specialist doctor?
For most individuals, the primary care doctor is the first point of entry into the healthcare system. A primary care doctor treats a wide range of health issues and can help coordinate your medical treatment with various specialists. They are typically general practitioners, family physicians, internists, pediatricians, or geriatricians. Your primary care doctor may refer you to a specialist if your condition is out of scope. Sometimes, you may also opt to see a specialist for a second opinion, or if you feel unsatisfied with the care you are receiving.
Specialists are doctors who have advanced training and degrees in a particular branch of medicine. You may benefit from seeing a specialist if you require a second opinion, or if your condition is complicated. When patients seek specialist care, seeing the wrong type of specialist is a common pitfall. If you are unsure of which specialist to see, check with your primary care doctor who will be able to guide you towards seeing the right type of specialist. Alternatively, when making your appointment to see the specialist, be sure to check with the clinic that their doctor is appropriate for your specific health concern.
Is the provider covered by your insurance/benefits?
If you have insurance coverage or employment benefits, check with your insurer or employer on what sort of treatment is covered, and whether the healthcare provider you intend to visit is on their preferred panel. With the healthcare provider and treatment covered, you reduce your out-of-pocket payments.
Some insurers or employers also require you to first visit a primary care provider or obtain approval prior to seeking specialist services. Ensure that you are familiar with the process put in place by your insurer or employer so you don’t end up with unnecessary bills or wasted time.
Convenience factors
If you are seeing a doctor for a chronic health condition, you will likely be in it for the long run. You will want to choose a practice that is convenient for you. Some of the key considerations include:
Location: is the practice somewhere you can easily get to? Is there adequate parking if you drive? Is the location easily accessible by public transportation? Often, people choose practices near their homes or workplaces so that they do not have to take a full day off for their appointments.
Booking System: Many practices now allow you to book appointments online - this saves time and allows you to easily reschedule appointments should an urgent matter crop up. Choosing such practices will reduce the amount of time you spend on the phone trying to figure out a mutually convenient time slot.
Waiting Time: It can be frustrating to spend an hour waiting for your appointment only to see the doctor for fifteen minutes. Choose practices that space out their appointments well. Otherwise, getting the first appointment of the day usually reduces waiting time too.
Environment: Pick a clinic with a relaxing environment that makes you comfortable. If you are going to visit this place routinely, you want it to be a place that relaxes you, not one that drives up your stress levels.
Teleconsultation options: Follow ups for stable chronic conditions can easily be done via digital channels so that you don’t have to make trips to the clinic saving traveling time, waiting time, and even time off work. This is especially useful if you have a busy schedule.
Medication delivery: A clinic that offers medication delivery can be a lifesaver at times. Think of the times when you run out of medication but have no time to head down to the clinic for a refill.
Meets your needs
As care for chronic health conditions evolves, there are many options available to patients and you may want to seek out practices that meet your needs.
There are practices that provide ongoing support for chronic health diseases even outside of your clinic visit - this can come in handy when you have questions after your clinic visit, or if you are keen to make changes to your lifestyle to optimize control of your condition or require motivation and support to make these changes. Pick a practice that is able to offer you such support if you think that you would benefit from it.
Mobile health applications and monitoring devices (e.g. continuous glucose monitors) have been game-changers with their ability able to track and monitor health. For some individuals, the data generated can help to personalize treatment plans resulting in tremendous results. If you intend to use these tools, check that the doctor is comfortable with these tools and has experience making sense of the data so you get the most value out of the encounter.
Care philosophy
Traditionally, most patients still view the doctor’s visits as a time to give an update on their condition to their doctors, then passively receive instructions on how to manage the condition until the next visit. There is little discussion with the patient, to explore and arrive at a joint discussion as to what may work best for you and your situation. If that works for you, then seek out a doctor who is used to practicing in this manner.
Chronic conditions involve factors that are complex, dynamic, and highly unique to the individual. Studies have shown that a holistic approach to management that combines medical therapy with lifestyle modifications, tailored to the individual, achieves superior results to management solely focused on medical therapy. It is important that you select a doctor that is aligned and comfortable with this approach if you seek holistic management of your chronic health condition.
Communication style
Regardless of the type of healthcare provider you are seeking, you want to be able to communicate effectively with them. Being able to speak the same language and having an atmosphere of mutual respect is key to this.
Many patients complain that they can't understand their doctors because of the use of medical jargon, or that they feel as if their doctors don’t listen to them. Sometimes patients also feel that doctors are not able to give them enough time.
Find a doctor that you can connect with and whom you feel you can trust. This will go a long way in something as personal as medical care, especially when it comes to care for chronic health conditions which often involves your lifestyle.
Credentials and track record
Check that your doctor has the experience and specialization that you need. You'll also want to research your doctor's track record to be sure your doctor has a clean record, free of malpractice or other problems.
Rest of the team
Doctors' practices aren't composed of doctors alone. They are surrounded by others who help them deliver the care you need. From receptionists to nurses and allied health professionals such as dietitians and health coaches, your experience will actually be a cumulative experience with the entire team. Such multidisciplinary support can help doctors better manage the patient’s condition in the different areas of care and can support patients in navigating the growing number of options in nutrition, technology, services, and medication. Make sure the doctor you choose has the appropriate support, and that you are comfortable with the other members of the team as they will play a significant role in your care.
Not a fit? Keep searching!
The best-intentioned doctors with the best credentials are still not a guarantee that they’ll be a good doctor for you. This incompatibility can be because of differences in personality, communication style or care philosophy, or may simply be a function of their practice where they just can’t give you the attention you need. It is important that you feel comfortable with the doctor you are seeing, and there is no shame in looking for another doctor if you feel that the doctor you found is not working out.
That said, once you have found that doctor who you feel comfortable with, who will spend enough time with you and who seems committed to helping you manage your condition, stick to him or her! All the best in your search.
