How To Choose Your Gynecologist
(continued)
Sources of Additional Information About Gynecologists:
Although patients often say they want more information when it comes to choosing
doctors and hospitals, a 1998 report in the Journal of the American Medical
Association indicated that few people bother to track down this information
and even fewer report that it influences the decisions they make about where
they get their health care. For those who would investigate more if they knew
how, the information below may help. Most of the gynecologists practicing in
the United States are well trained and well qualified, competent, respectful,
and law-abiding, but how can you be sure that yours is one of them? There are
ways to find out:
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) provides a
"Physician Directory" as a public service for women to locate an obstetrician-gynecologist
in their area. This database can be searched by physician name, state, or zip
code. Note that this directory only contains the names and addresses of ACOG
members. Some ob-gyn's have elected to add basic information about their
specific practices, such as the hours of operation, the hospitals with which
they are affiliated, and languages spoken. If available, this information can
be obtained by clicking on the link associated with the physician's name.
- Patients can call state medical licensing boards to check physicians' licenses.
How much information is available varies, from current license status to past
problems and in some states malpractice judgments
- Some states post physician license information on the Internet. Administrators
in Medicine runs a free Docfinder
site that links to about a dozen states. The American
Board of Medical Specialties also can provide some information on a physician's
board certification.
- The only public comprehensive list of doctor discipline, including 50 states'
records, Medicare and Drug Enforcement Administration sanctions, is Public Citizen's
"16,638 Questionable Doctors." The group is not posting the information on the
Internet and will charge consumers $23.50 for each book of local information-
call 202-588-7780.
- The American Medical Association Physician
Select provides information on virtually every licensed physician in the
United States, including more than 650,000 doctors of medicine (MD) and doctors
of osteopathy or osteopathic medicine (DO). All physician credential data have
been verified for accuracy and authenticated by accrediting agencies, medical
schools, residency training programs, licensing and certifying boards, and other
data sources. This site identifies whether a doctor is an AMA member (which
is of no consequence to their ability to practice gynecology), where s/he went
to medical school, board certification status; it does not discuss discipline
status or other complaints.
- Many local hospitals also provide referral services for the physicians affiliated
with that hospital. Be as specific as you can regarding the type of gynecologist,
convenience factors needed, and insurance information to get the best recommendations
from these listing services.
- You can also check on your doctor's Board Certification status by calling
the American Board of Medical Specialties at 1-800-776-2378. This group allows
the public to verify - free of charge -a doctor's board certification status,
location, and specialty of any physician licensed in the United States. They
will even provide you with a list of board certified physicians located near
your zip code.
- Evaluating complaints or disciplinary actions. You may want to check
if a doctor has had any problems with his/her medical practice. Just be aware
that this information is rarely complete, and generally must be checked on a
state by state basis. To find out, contact your state medical licensing board
(listed in your telephone book under "State Government Offices - Medical
Board."). You may also wish to check local court records to learn if your
doctor has ever been charged with malpractice. Bear in mind, however, that
one third of obstetricians have been "charged" with malpractice; many of these
lawsuits are for bad outcomes as opposed to practicing bad medicine. This does
not require culpability.
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Your relationship with your gynecologist is one of the most intimate professional relationships you may have. While this relationship will take time to nurture, you should have a feeling even on the first visit that this is a person you will be able to trust with your most private or serious concerns.
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