When you move to a new area, it’s important that you register with a doctor as soon as possible. If your insurance isn’t restrictive, only allowing you to choose from a group of pre-approved physicians, then it will be possible for you to search around in your new town or city to find a primary care physician that you want to register with, who you believe will give you the best possible care. If this is the case for you, here are some useful tips to find a great doctor for your everyday health needs.
Ask Around
Firstly, speak to neighbors, co-workers, parents at your child’s school, perhaps family members if they live nearby, and find out who they recommend and why. Having an understanding of the different doctors and their surgeries in your area will help you to at least narrow down your choice, if not decide specifically which one you want to register with.
Do You Need A Specialist?
Another question to ask yourself is whether you need a specialist or not. It can restrict your choice if, for example, you need a doctor who is a specialist in type II diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, or other conditions. It is important to find out as you don’t want to register with a doctor who doesn’t have the experience to help you with your condition. If this is the case, then you will need to be referred to someone else, and your treatment may be delayed. It is far better to find someone with the requisite experience from the start.
Are They Available?
Something that all good doctors invest in is a medical answering service. It means that even if they are not in their office, there will be someone who can answer your call, no matter what time of the day or night. This can be reassuring, but it can also be life-saving, so it is certainly something to check out when you are searching for a new doctor.
It’s also useful to know whether or not there is cover for sickness and vacation and, if so, who the doctor is who will be covering. This is all valuable information to help you make your important choice.
The Practice Office
The location of the practice office is also something you will need to think about carefully. Is it easy to get to by car? Will you need to take public transport and how close is the nearest bus station or railway station? How much would a cab cost to get there? What is parking like once you are there? Is it in a safe part of town? All of these things are important to consider. You don’t want to end up spending a lot of money to get to your doctor’s office, and neither do you want to drive around for a long time trying to find somewhere to park and risk missing your appointment. If you’re not sure, take a practice run to make sure you’re happy with the location before registering.
