how to find a health care provider

by Janet Casperson, BS, MSN, ANP-C

Many of the baby boomers have read an extensive amount of information and they have very specific ideas of what they think they want in a clinician. It's important to remember that when looking for the right clinician, you are looking to build a relationship and a partnership.

Go to public seminars. These are a great source of information and even more importantly, a great way to meet a good clinician. Judge the clinician's knowledge and enthusiasm about therapies.

Friends and family are also an excellent source for referrals. If you go into an office and there is no one in the waiting room, there's probably a good reason and you probably would not want to seek treatment there. If a clinician is very negative about a treatment option and doesn't appear to have the basic information you think they should, this is another red flag. A good rule is to go with your gut feeling. If you don't have a good feeling about an option, don't pursue it.

It's important that your clinician be board-certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties in the specialty, such as cardiology or urology. It's imperative that you're comfortable with the health care professional's advice and that it's advice that you can follow. For example, clinicians who recommend vitamin therapy suggest it because they happen to sell vitamins.

Another great indicator of a physician's expertise is ongoing professional certification. Do they regularly attend their professional meetings? Do they publish? Are they involved in professional organizations? Have they been active with the newer treatment medications? Have they been involved with clinical trials?

When you go to your appointment, it's important that you go prepared. Go ready with a list of questions to ask so that you can maximize your face-to-face time with the health care professional. You may want to use the Internet and some reliable health sites like MedlinePlus (http://www.medlineplus.gov) and SeekWellness.com to get background information and frame your questions. But remember, you'll want to spend your time with the health care professional in discussion, not in reading Internet printouts. Most busy clinicians will not have the time or the inclination to review the details of specific articles. The health care provider, the patient and the partner are there together to begin building an open, communicative relationship.

If possible, have appropriate lab tests completed before the appointment. Most physician offices will be glad to draw blood before the appointment so the results can be reviewed and discussed at the time of the office visit.

It's extremely important to go as a couple when seeking therapy for any type of sexual dysfunction. Sometimes a man comes in without a partner and states, "I need to get an erection." We ask him "Do you have a partner?" And he may reply, "No, how will I get a partner without an erection?" This scenario is too often a prescription for failure.

Another big misconception is that insurance pays for everything. This is far from the truth. If you want specialty testing that's generally not covered by insurance policies, you will have to pay personally. That's why it's important to be cost effective, to know what you want and to be aware of your insurance coverage when you go to a doctor's office.

References: See Bibliography

August 2006
Posted August 2008