Finding a new doctor in your area can be overwhelming. There can be dozens of primary care physicians in your immediate urban area, and a handful of specialists for your specific condition.
Finding the right one for you is important because not all doctors are the same, just in the same way accountants, lawyers, and real estate agents are not all the same. Some are better at certain aspects of their jobs than others. Some have a better way of explaining and connecting with patients, and some are better at diagnosing certain issues.
Though there are reviews of doctors online, they are unreliable simply because we can’t even yet fully agree on what makes a great doctor. The answer lies in that the best person to judge a doctor’s abilities are their peers.
If you have a current PCP, ask them which specialist is best for your specific condition. This is historically how referrals were made, but with the internet age, many patients pick a physician simply because of their online picture, reviews, and/or distance to their home.
Physicians, instead, judge each other on the acumen of their diagnosis, based on reading assessment notes that often accompany a referral. They informally generate perceptions of each other on physician-to-physician phone calls, and when they meet each other during conferences.
Similarly, ask your specialist if they can recommend a PCP who has experience with patients in your age group and similar medical history. They read hundreds of notes from referring physicians a year and get to know the best PCPs in your area.
