Finding good doctors

[Kushina]

How does one find good doctors? I don't like going on someone's word because that's just one experience and how much can you really trust their opinion.

Perhaps a site for rankings/ratings? I'm looking for an eye doctor in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area zip 22150

 

[Schfifty Five]

What I've done in the past is go through my insurance carrier's website and search for doctors within say a 10 mile radius.

Then I start looking at the ones closest to me and googling their names. There are a few websites that people use to rate doctors, but I don't remember the names of the sites. Anyway, I'll just do that and look for one that fits my criteria and has a high rating (like 4.5 out of 5 starts, etc).

 

[nageov3t]

step 1: use my insurance company's website to get a list of doctor's in my preferred area (generally, I like going to doctor's who have offices in more expensive/nicer towns, under the assumption that if they can afford the real estate, their practice must be doing good business)

step 2: search for doctors online to compare reviews (Google Local, Yelp, etc). also read their medical background to see specialties and educational background.

step 3: make an appointment for a physical and go check them out. if I don't like the doctor, return to the list and try another... no harm in doctor shopping to find one that you have a good rapport with; what I might be looking for in a doctor may be completely the opposite of what someone else is.

 

[JEDI]

How does one find good doctors? I don't like going on someone's word because that's just one experience and how much can you really trust their opinion.

Perhaps a site for rankings/ratings? I'm looking for an eye doctor in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area zip 22150

dr joanne Crenshaw in VA.
it's a dr office and not an optical store with a spot for the doc.

no upselling of eyeglasses because she doesn't have any eyeglasses on display. (she does have like a dozen prescription sun glasses on a rack.)

2month wait tho

 

[z1ggy]

2 fingers during prostate exam = do not go back

 

[Craig234]

There isn't a good way, other than you usually have good luck with the doctors the wealthier people see.

Word of Mouth is one of the better methods even though it's only one person. Googling the name to see if there's online feedback. Other doctors you trust referring.

I don't know much more than that you can do. One thing that makes any better system difficult is that we need people spread out among doctors, not everyone can go to the 'best' doctors, and leave the less good ones without patients. That's why we need for there to be high standards so even the less good doctors still give good care.

 

[Sattern]

The best way is to experiment with different doctors and preferably find one that has a private practice in the suburbs, they tend to be more professional and care for you more.

 

[nageov3t]

dr joanne Crenshaw in VA.
it's a dr office and not an optical store with a spot for the doc.

no upselling of eyeglasses because she doesn't have any eyeglasses on display. (she does have like a dozen prescription sun glasses on a rack.)

2month wait tho

is that in general, or just right now?

I always feel like getting in to see my eye doctor, dentist, and dermatologist is pretty much impossible in the summer with parents cramming their kids into every appointment slot available before school is back in session.

 

[JEDI]

is that in general, or just right now?

I always feel like getting in to see my eye doctor, dentist, and dermatologist is pretty much impossible in the summer with parents cramming their kids into every appointment slot available before school is back in session.

for her, in general.

u can get an appt at an optical store eye doctor for tomorrow.
of course have the inconviences of upsells, and conflict of interest

 

[waggy]

word of mouth works great.

growing up my good friends dad was a pediatrician. so i asked him who would be a good GP doctor for me. i took his recommendation damn near 20 years ago and still have my doc.

 

[DaveSimmons]

For eye doctors, my method:

1. Ophthalmologist rather than just an optometrist (but I have lousy eyesight and bifocals so I need the better training)
2. Not working in a cubby of a mall glasses store

 

[mmntech]

Dentist and eye doctors have never been a problem with me. I've got two good ones I've been going to since I was in my teens.

GPs though. They seem to stick around for a year or two then move their practice. Hard enough to find one, let alone keep one. The walk-in clinics are just a tall, steaming cup of awful. You have to wait ages (sometimes for hours) before being seen, only to get a GP who doesn't know you from Adam. Fortunately, I have no health issues.