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Step 1
Determine which type of physician you need to see, from a general practitioner to a specialist who treats certain types of diseases or injuries. If your family doctor is referring you for more specific treatment, they will tell you which type of specialist you need to see and often will give you specific referrals.
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Step 2
Consult with your health insurance provider for a list of doctors who work within your plan's network. If you choose out-of-network care, you will typically have to pay more in co-pays and deductibles. If you are on public assistance or have other government insurance (SSI, Medicare), call your plan's pre-approval number before making an appointment to find out if treatment will be covered under the plan.
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Step 3
Consult your local telephone directory's Yellow Pages. Physicians are listed in alphabetical order of specialty. Some directories may offer listings for doctors located in surrounding cities as well as local offices.
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Step 4
Use a physician locator website (see Resources) to help you pinpoint doctors within your area. You can define your search terms by city, state, driving radius, type of practice and other elements.
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Step 5
Ask friends, coworkers and family members for recommendations. If they have seen the same physician for many years and don't have any complaints about treatment, this can help you narrow your search.
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Step 6
Start researching the list of doctors that you have pinpointed. Enter their name in a search engine to look for any links to comments about their practice. Check the American Medical Association database to verify licensing; they provide basic information on over 814,000 licenses physicians within the United States. Call the physicians on your list to find out if they are accepting new patients.
Comments
dugu said
on 8/25/2009 great tips for people that have no doc or want to switch it.