Choosing a Doctor

Dr. Pamela Kushner, a Long Beach family physician, says she’s always amazed at the amount of attention people will devote to choosing a brand of catsup. But when it comes to picking a primary care doctor, they won’t investigate the credentials or the background of the doctor.

Finding a good doctor is finding the right fit.

“The role of a primary physician is not to gate-keep, but to be the primary caretaker to that patient, their friend, their advisor,” she says.

Medical experts offer the following tips:

* Start looking for a doctor when you are well.

* Ask for recommendations from friends and family.

* Check with physician referral services, medical associations--such as the American Medical Assn.--and your insurance provider.

* Consider proximity to your home as you narrow your choices.

* Ask for a get-acquainted visit or checkup; take your health records and questions.

* Ask about fees, hospital affiliations, office hours, on-call status, billing and insurance procedures.

* Ask yourself: “Am I comfortable with this person?”

“If you don’t feel comfortable crying or talking in your physician’s office, you need a new physician,” Kushner says.

If your physician won’t take the time to listen, then your doctor-patient relationship has no value, she says.

Nor is it beneficial if your doctor cannot provide answers.

“Today it’s easy to receive information from your doctor, if your doctor is willing to look it up,” Kushner says. “These are things that will tell you how good a physician he or she is.”