Selecting a doctor is a difficult task. When you move to a new community, you’ll need to do research to find health care providers to help you. And, sometimes, your current doctors may have retired, are no longer taking your insurance, or aren’t meeting your needs.
What does a good medical practice look like? The Peterson Center on Healthcare and researchers at Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center studied the issue and Consumer Reports offers this summary of their findings.
First, they collected data from 15,000 U.S. primary care practices. To narrow the list to the most successful ones, they used 41 accepted quality-of-care measures along with data on healthcare spending. They then sent a team of investigators to a sample of the highest-performing practices to figure out what set them apart.
The most successful ones shared these characteristics, which all consumers can look out for:
- Extended hours – Flexible schedules help patients avoid trips to the emergency room.
- Careful about overtreating – Doctors emphasize spending time with patients before rushing to tests.
- Open to complaints – Patient complaints have value and are treated as compliments.
- One-Stop Shopping – Top practices perform some minor procedures that other practices often refer out.
- Like-minded specialists, and only as needed – Patients are only sent to specialists who share the practice’s philosophies.
- Two-way communication – Medical offices actively follow-up through phone calls, repeat visits, or emails.
- A team approach – Teams include a variety of healthcare providers, including nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nutrition counselors, and social workers.
- A fair workplace – Physicians aren’t compensated solely on the number of patients they see.
- Spend wisely – Practices tend to avoid expensive, high-tech devices in favor of devices that encourage efficiency.
Best wishes in selecting doctors. It’s important to have a qualified medical team to help you and your loved ones.
