When one visits a new doctor, the last thing on one's mind is whether or not he has malpractice suits on his record or any other probationary blemishes issued by the Medical Board; after all, doctors are human, too, and subject to errors and human weaknesses just like their patients. Research should be conducted before one initially sees a physician to ensure he is competent and capable of fulfilling one's needs. 260 people die every day from medical errors; reduce the risk of becoming another statistic by checking facts.
Instructions
1. Check out your doctor's credentials at Robert's Review (refer to the last resource listed in the Resource section). Many doctors practice without a license and are not Board certified or even qualified doctors; is your doctor a fraud? Check out medical schools your doctor attended, when he obtained his license, minor and major probationary infractions and how many times he's been sued for malpractice. A fee will sometimes apply to obtain complete and comprehensive background information.
2. Buy a comprehensive report including the doctor's educational background, Board certifications, professional history and patient's feedback at http://www.physicianreports.com/ . Rate and leave feedback on the site on one's doctors and read how other patients ranked their experiences with doctors and medical care. The more information one has, the better assessment one can make.
3. Search these sites for free information on your doctor: http://www.ratemds.com/social/ http://www.medbd.ca.gov/lookup.html http://www.floridamalpractice.com/linksdoctor.htm http://drmalpracticecheck.com/ Most contain links to other free options for checking doctors' malpractice lawsuits.
4. Ask your doctor whether he carries medical malpractice insurance, and if not, why not? There is a growing trend for doctors to carry insufficient malpractice insurance or none at all. Doctors' questionnaires on one's first visit will often ask the new patient whether they have ever sued for malpractice; unless the doctor reveals his incidences with malpractice suits, then leave the question unanswered.
Tags: your doctor, malpractice insurance, malpractice suits, sued malpractice