Family doctors offer comprehensive health care for your entire family. Finding the best physician for your family requires research to narrow down the local options. The family physician who cares for your neighbor might not work well for your family. While personal recommendations serve as one resource for finding a physician, your own evaluation of each physician determines which one is the best option.
Criteria
A set of criteria for your family physician helps you narrow down the options and target your search. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommends making a list of the most important qualities you want your physician to possess. Writing a list of special medical conditions experienced by your family is a starting point for your criteria. A doctor with experience in these conditions may offer better care for your family. Gender preferences, location, hours of operation, availability after hours, insurance accepted and the services offered are other factors that can help you narrow down the family physician search.
Recommendations
The recommendations you receive from a variety of sources create your list of potential family physicians. Discussions with family, friends, neighbors and other local acquaintances allow you a glimpse into a doctor's method of care. Asking your acquaintances about their doctors and how they handles their patients gives you a sense of whether or not a specific physician might be a match for your family.
Personal recommendations are only one source for your physician search. Your health insurance company should offer a list of family physicians in your area that accept your health care coverage. Stick to this list to avoid a denial of health care charges. For convenience, family practices along your regular work or travel route are worth considering.
Narrowing the List
Your search for recommendations will likely give you several options for potential family doctors. Narrowing down the list allows you to target your search to the best qualified doctors for your specific situation. A call to each office allows you to ask specific questions related to your list of criteria that you created. Writing out the questions ahead of time ensures that you ask about all of your concerns and have an even comparison between all of the options.
Interviews
The calls to the offices allow you to choose two or three doctors as your final candidates. FamilyDoctor.org recommends meeting with each physician to further evaluate your options and ask more questions. These questions might address the doctor's experience, medical degree, license, medical organization certification and philosophy on patient care. Your gut feeling about each option also plays a role in the selection.
Selection
The selection comes down to your evaluation of the final candidates and how well they match your needs. Referring back to your original list and comparing it to the physicians you interviewed helps you analyze the options. FamilyDoctor.org recommends choosing a doctor who makes you feel comfortable and takes the time to answer your questions. Your decision does not have to be permanent. If your choice turns out to be a poor match for your needs, you can always switch to a new family physician.
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