With a family doctor, you can build a relationship with one physician and centralize your family's health care. Most cities and towns offer several different health practices, each with multiple family doctors on staff. Finding a trustworthy family physician who is accepting new patients and honors your health insurance is sometimes a challenge, as you should be comfortable with the doctor's personality and manner of dealing with patients.
Step 1
Write a list of qualifications and preferences you have based on your family's needs. This might include a willingness to consider alternative treatments, location, experience with a particular medical condition and hours of operation. Consider your child's preferences, including a preference for a particular gender. Some children are afraid of unfamiliar men or women, so choose your doctor accordingly.
Step 2
Call your insurance carrier to get a list of family physicians who accept your insurance plan. Verify the coverages on your health insurance plan. Some plans require you to visit their preferred providers, while others charge a higher co-pay if you go outside the network of preferred providers.
Step 3
Ask local acquaintances for family doctor recommendations, including specific reasons why they like the doctor. Most people are willing to share their honest opinion and experiences, either positive or negative. Write an initial list of possible family doctors based on these recommendations.
Step 4
Search online sources that offer consumer reviews on doctors, such as Angie's List or HealthGrades. Search for doctors in your area and read the reviews to find potential doctors who match your needs.
Step 5
Watch for family practices near your home, work or along your typical route. Write down the names of these practices, or stop in to ask the receptionist some basic questions.
Step 6
Call each of the family doctors on your list to ask about office hours, preferred hospital, services offered, handling of after-hours problems, billing and if they are accepting new patients. Narrow down your list of potential doctors to at least three based on the phone calls.
Step 7
Schedule an appointment to meet with the family doctors who best fit your needs. Ask additional questions about the doctor's philosophy, education, certification, continued training and other specifics based on the list of qualifications you created. Note how the doctor interacts with your family and the general impression you get during the meeting.
Step 8
Call the state medical board to verify that the doctors you are considering have a valid license. Ask if the doctor has any disciplinary action against him.
Step 9
Select the doctor who best matches all your qualifications and interacts with the family in a way that makes you comfortable.
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