SAFETY

CHOOSING HEALTHCARE

In This Section

• Choosing Quality Healthcare
• Choosing a Doctor, Specialist, Surgeon
• Second Opinions
• Checklists for Healthcare
• Choosing a Hospital

Choosing Quality Healthcare

The best time to choose a doctor or a hospital is before you or your family needs one. This site will arm you with checklists and questions to ask for almost any situation. But the most valuable thing you can do in preparation for your search is to take the time to create a Health Journal for every member of your family. There are even Health Records Storage sites that will allow you to store this information online so that it can be retrieved at any time by anyone who has your login information.

The next step is to find out about each doctor’s and hospital’s record. You can find extensive information about doctors and hospitals on the Internet once you know where to look – and that’s what this section is all about.

Choosing a Doctor, Specialist, Surgeon

To find a great doctor, ask an ER nurse at the best local hospital, or a nurse from the intensive care unit. Both get an unvarnished view of doctors at their best and worst. All of your doctors should be board-certified. The American Board of Medical Specialties has 24 certification specialties that you can search for online, including anesthesiology, cardiology, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

To check on your Connecticut doctor’s history – schooling, graduation, board certification, disciplinary actions, lawsuits, etc. – go to the CT Department of Public Health Physician Profile. Remember, you don’t need to know the doctor’s license number. You can leave that blank. But you must spell the doctor’s name correctly. The following sites can provide more information on Connecticut doctors – and on doctors from other states.

• American Medical Association (AMA)
• American Board of Medical Specialties
• American College of Physicians
• American College of Surgeons
• Medicare
• Family Doctor (American Association of Family Physicians)
• Healthfinder
• Medline Plus

Second Opinions

Research has found that getting a second opinion results in a new diagnosis 30% of the time, but only 20% of patients get a second opinion. SO GET A SECOND OPINION. When you consult the specialist, hand over the test results and xrays, and give the facts of the case, letting the doctor ask questions. Do not say, “My doctor says I have…” You don’t want to bias the specialist.

Researching a condition

Once you have a diagnosis you’ll want to know everything there is to know about your condition. You may also want to know more about everyday family health issues. Here are some of the best health research sites:

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• American Medical Association
• CDC Health Topics A to Z
• Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
• National Library of Medicine
• National Women’s Health Information Center
• Medline Plus
• Kids Health
• NBC30 Health
• webMD.com

Checklists for Healthcare

At the end of this section you will find checklists compiled from information found at Joint Commission Resources, Medicare and the National Institutes of Health.

Print them out and keep them in a file with your up-to-date Health Journal – a Microsoft Word file which you can also download and to which you can add your information. Grab the file whenever you see a doctor or go to the hospital or ER.

• Highlights from YOU the Smart Patient
• More Resources from YOU the Smart Patient

Diagnosis.pdf

Dr. Visit.pdf

Emergency Rm.pdf

Med Test.pdf

Medication.pdf

Surgery.pdf

Health Journal.doc

Choosing a Hospital

Just as you want your doctor to be board-certified, you want your hospital to be accredited by the Joint Commission. Joint Commission accreditation is the Gold Seal of Approval for a hospital. The Joint Commission site has comparative information on hospitals, too, but we’ve found the Medicare link to be easier to navigate and the results easier to understand.

A word about emergency rooms

All ERs have a level number. Level 1 ERs are the best with specialists and technology to handle anything, especially trauma. Level 2 and Level 3 ERs have more limited resources. Ask your doctor or the hospital staff what their ER level is.

Choose and compare other healthcare facilities and services i.e. nursing homes, home health agencies, hospice care, ambulatory clinics, home medical equipment companies, laboratories, etc. at the following web sites:

• Joint Commission
• Medicare