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Finding
a Doctor on the Web
These Internet resources allow you to search for a doctor
by name, location or specialty:
American College of Rheumatology:
www.rheumatology.org/directory/geo.asp
American Medical Association Online Doctor Finder:
www.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.htm
WebMD:
www.my.webmd.com
Doctor Directory:
www.doctordirectory.com
Fibromyalgia Resource Center:
www.fmsresource.com
Web Guide:
www.docguide.com
Interactive website:
www.findadoc.com
Physicians Choice
www.mdchoice.com
Physicians Choice, as the name implies, gives ratings to sites based on the
evaluations of a review board of physicians.
• Background
and Performance
PHYSICIAN REPORTS
Find & Compare Doctors
www.physicianreports.com
Access critical background and performance data on doctors.
CHOICE TRUST
Check Doctors Credentials
www.choicetrust.com
Site provides information regarding disciplinary.
HEALTH GRADES
Check Doctor Credentials
www.healthgrades.com
Listing of doctors who have had disciplinary actions. • Dentists
Dentist
American Dental Association - National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped
www.ada.org
American Dental Association , 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped
www.nfdh.org
1800 15th Street, Suite 100, Denver, CO 80202, 303-534-5362
• Alternative
Medicine
NCCAM - National Center For Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
nccam.nih.gov/
NCCAM is 1 of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is one of eight agencies under
the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS). The mission is to support rigorous research
on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), to train researchers
in CAM, and to disseminate information to the public and professionals
on which CAM modalities work, which do not, and why. Health Information
Topics: Understanding Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM),
Alerts and Advisories, Treatment Information or Resources.
Selecting a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Practitioner
nccam.nih.gov/health/practitioner/index.htm
Selecting a health care practitioner--of conventional or complementary
and alternative medicine (CAM)--is an important decision and can
be key to ensuring that you are receiving the best health care.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
has developed this fact sheet to answer frequently asked questions
about selecting a CAM practitioner, such as issues to consider when
making your decision and important questions to ask the practitioner
you select.
• Articles & Tips
10 Signs That You Need a New Doctor - Guidelines for Patients
Who Want to Feel Well
thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aabaddocsignsa.htm
Article written by Mary Shomon, a communications consultant
and published author who has transformed her own struggle
with thyroid disease into an award-winning Web site and national
prominence as a thyroid patient advocate. March 2003.
The decision to find a new doctor is actually more difficult
than most of us might think. The relationship with a doctor
is an intensely personal one, and it’s not easy to
find the right match – particularly when we’re
limited by geography, HMOs and insurance. Many people also
find that they feel a bit intimidated by their physicians,
and once with a doctor, don’t feel they have the right
to switch, or worry that they will offend the doctor. Remember – in
a doctor-patient relationship, YOU are the client, and the
doctor is providing a service. And if that service is not
meeting your needs, the best thing you can do for your health
is to find the right doctor who will meet your needs. This
is especially important when you have a chronic health concern
that will keep you returning to your doctor regularly. Your
relationship with your doctor is the foundation of your health
and well-being. The wrong doctor may make it difficult – if
not impossible – to return to wellness and optimal
health.
The Perfect Fit- Seven Steps to Finding a Doctor Who
is Right for You: by Catharine L. Shaner, MD, FAAP
fmaware.org/newsletter/perfectfitFP.htm
"There is nothing more I can do for you. You have to learn to live with
it." Translation: it is time to find a new doctor. For many patients, the
next step is to open the phone book to an eye-catching ad and call for an appointment.
Hold the phone! We tour neighborhoods with the best schools to shop for a house,
we test drive cars to check out the features we want, and we read Consumer Reports
before we buy the latest electronic gadget. Why, oh why, do we pick our doctor
from a phone book? There is a better way. Consider this systematic approach to
finding your "Dr. Right."
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