How to Choose a Doctor

Getting started

Choosing a doctor is one of the most important things you will do in your life. You will trust this person for his or her expertise, advice and to administer treatment that may save your life.

And remember that choosing a physician is just that; a choice. You need to be happy with your doctor and the treatment-on the medical level and a personal level-that you receive. Whether you're looking for a primary care physician or a specialist, it pays to do as much research as you can to ensure that you find the right match.


Get a referral

Try to avoid picking a doctor at random from your health plan's list or out of the phone book. In a recent Consumer Reports survey, people who found their physicians through someone they trusted--a friend, a family member, or another doctor--had the most favorable experiences. (We found a similar phenomenon in a 2004 survey of consumers who visited mental-health professionals.)

If you're picking a doctor to care for a specific condition, ask about how often he or she treats cases similar to yours. Patients we surveyed who took this step were more satisfied with their care. You can also ask the doctor about specialty board certification, which requires advanced training and the passing of rigorous tests. See Checking on your doctor for more on checking up on a doctor's qualifications.


Research Your Medical Issues

An educated patient is an empowered patient. The more you know about your own medical conditions will not only help earn the respect of your doctor, but it will help you come up with questions to ask a doctor prior to choosing him or her to treat you.

The Internet has given consumers almost limitless sources of information on their medical conditions. But 41 percent of doctors said their patients often showed up poorly informed because of bad information found online. If you research your condition online, as almost 40 percent of respondents did, take care to assess the site's credibility before relying on its information. Two free sites you can trust: MayoClinic.com (www.mayoclinic.com) and the National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov). Both rated excellent for reliability and quality of information in a review by Consumer Reports WebWatch, a project of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of this magazine, and the Health Improvement Institute. (For more help with evaluating health Web sites, go to www.healthratings.org.)