Dr Who: Who is the Best Doctor for Your Family?

Dr WhoChoosing a doctor is more difficult than I once thought.  Why?  Because not every doctor thinks alike.  For that matter, not every mother thinks alike.  In the end, we all care about our health and children but everybody’s views how to get there are just a little different.

 I had an especially scary moment with one doctor I trusted my child’s care to and it made me seriously stop and think about how I even chose this person and realized I didn’t do my due diligence in picking someone who was the best match for our family.  

The doctor you choose for your care or for your children, hopefully, has the same view of health as you.  If not, then you will be mighty frustrated and often feel like you are not getting the best care for yourself or your child.  So how do you find the health care professional that meets your needs best?

1.  Determine how much authority you want your physician to have.  In the past, at least with my parents’ generation {maybe longer}, the patient did exactly what the doctor said, no questions asked.  There wasn’t room for discussion.  The patient did as she was told.  Now, things are different.  Many health care professionals are open to helping the families they serve understand the why’s and to understand their patients point of view too.  So what kind of health professional are you looking for?

Consultant – Are you wanting your physician to act more like a consultant, one that you can talk to, discuss your view point with and hear theirs so you can come to an overall better understanding of how taking certain actions will further your health?

Final Word – Are you wanting a physician who tells you exactly what to do and has the final word on your health.

I always feel it’s important to listen to those who have done an in depth dive into certain areas like medicine, etc., but it is also important for a patient to feel heard and for the patient to do their own research as well.  It builds trust in the doctor/patient relationship.  I think most doctors do a great job of this but if that’s not happening and it’s something you want, then you may need to find another doctor.

2.  Determine your health philosophy.  This one is really important because if you choose a doctor that doesn’t match up with your philosophy, then that doctor can make you feel like you are the worst parent and not properly take care of health issues.  If you choose correctly, then you will have a strong advocate.  One who helps you see past the scary moments with the courage to keep going knowing that x, y & z will happen but this is what to be aware of and look out for as the healing process takes place.

Immediate Medical Intervention – Do you tend to want to immediately step in at the first sign of an issue and treat it with medicine?

Natural Tendencies – Do you tend to want to watch closely while you see how the body reacts and betters the issue itself or with the aide of natural sources?

Combination – maybe you’re a little bit of both but it totally depends on the circumstance.

Funny StoryMy husband and I’s perspective on health care has changed over the years.  When we first started on that journey it was a real eye opener for us as to how important it is for who we chose for our primary care.  One time my husband got the flu, but we didn’t know if it was type A or B so we went to see the doctor, explained that we would like to treat it as naturally as possibly and needed to know it’s type so we could know which natural route to take.  Apparently, the doctor heard a different “N” word because he wrote my husband a prescription for a narcotic cough syrup!  He said it would work wonders and would make my husband feel so much better.  I’m sure it would have but he didn’t really listen to what we were asking and didn’t “treat” us in the way we were wanting help.  We walked out of there with the understanding that it was the Type B flu and we’ve had something hilarious to laugh about for the past 6 years.

3. What type of medical practitioner are you wanting advice from?

MD – Doctor of Medicine.

Specialist – There is an array of specialists available at one’s finger tips – Allergists, Chiropractors, Dermatologists, OB/GYN, Sports, Ears, Nose & Throat, Herbalist, Midwives, Pulmanologist, etc…the list is practically endless.

ND – Doctor of Naturopathy.

All of these have a different viewpoint to draw from and some people choose a couple of doctors so that they can have multiple opinions.  Because doctors really do practice medicine, one might see something a little different than the other and give you a more complete picture to look at with different viewpoints.

Scary StoryOne of my children had an issue that took us about 7 months to diagnose and then figuring out how to treat it took even longer.  After visiting 5 different health care professionals – 2 specialists came up with the same diagnosis which gave us a direction to look. 2 had never encountered anything like it.  Sadly, there is no documented cause or cure for this diagnosis but another health care professional 7 months after the diagnosis was able to give us some hope in how to attack it instead of just hoping it would eventually go away with medications and steroids that didn’t really help at all and barely dealt with the topical symptoms. Actually, one of the warnings on the drug information insert for one prescription in particular said it would cause cervical cancer!  Not a probability but would actually cause it.  Needless to say, I threw that medication in the trash.  Now, almost 1 year later the issue is almost completely cleared up with a minor few flare ups, but in continuing to research and dig, we feel that we are finally attacking the root cause instead of just treating the symptoms.  And the best part is my child is not in severe pain like beforehand.

We brainstorm all the time to create events or build a house, it’s important to do this with our health as well.  It’s ok to bring in as many great minds as possible when attacking a health problem.  Of course, medical advice might differ but in the end the parent needs to be able to gather as much info as possible to make the best decision for their family.

4.  Interview friends to find out what they love about the doctor(s) they see?

The best way to find a health care professional is to find like minded friends or an online community and simply ask, “Who is your doctor of choice & why?”

5.  Interview the candidates.  Yes, you can interview doctors.  I feel that is one of the most important things you can do for your health.  Of course, you want to find someone who meets your above requirements and truly, it’s an easy but important step to take.

  • Call the doctor’s office and set up a consultation appointment.  Say that you are looking for a new doctor, you’ve heard great things about him/her and would like the opportunity to ask Dr. X some questions.
  • Observe what you see in the waiting room.  How does it make you feel?  When you go to the doctors’ office you want to feel a bit at peace in an already uncomfortable situation.
  • Ask the other patients in the waiting room about the doctor.  Most people, if you approach them in a friendly manner, will share their overall good/bad experiences.
  • Take a list of questions to the interview and ask the most important question first.  The most important questions are those that are deal breakers for you.  Ask that question first and then depending on the answer you can determine if the conversation needs to continue.  This will save you and the doctor a lot of time. It’s important to remember that if the doctor does not answer the question in a way that you feel good about, do not argue with him or her.  You are not there to make a case for your view point or to change theirs.  You are there to find a doctor to best serve you and your family.  If they are not a match, politely thank them for their time and leave.
  • Weigh the pros & cons.  If several doctors match your criteria, then make a list and see if one comes out better than the others.  If not, who is closer?  What does your gut say?  With whom do you feel the most comfortable? How was the overall experience?

Frustrating StoryOne of the doctors I interviewed became aggressive because I had a different viewpoint than she did and that was honestly good to know because in an emotionally charged situation where I have questions, I don’t want to be attacked or berated by someone I am trusting my life or my children’s life with.

I absolutely love the health care professionals we ended up choosing – why? Because they are open to discussion.  Although we have slightly different view points, the majority of our philosophies are the same.  What we differ on becomes a good discussion, usually one that is eye opening and that I appreciate.  They take time to hear all of my concerns and I in turn get to hear their advice and knowledge.  When I found health care professionals that matched what we needed and I knew they would take care of my family in a way that I trusted, it was such a sigh of relief.

Choose wisely and you will not regret it!

What advice do you have in finding a health care provider?  

What is it that you most love about those whom you look to for health advice?

Are you a health care provider?  What tips do you have in choosing a health professional?

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Kristi
I'm a wife to an amazing husband and a mother to four super active kiddos ages: 7 & under. Seven years ago, I traded in my career outside the home for a career as an adventurous homeschooling mom and gave up microwave cooking for organic homemade meals. Truly, dance parties, lots of prayer, and laughter are the only ways I stay sane, along with working out, traveling, crafting & reading in my spare time. Most of all, I love serving God, my family, my friends and my community. My family is constantly looking for ways that we can grow and have fun together while blessing others with what the Lord has given us. I hope my words will be a blessing to you!

2 COMMENTS

  1. In addition to MD’s and ND’s there are also D.O.’s which also take a different viewpoint but traditionally treat the the body as a whole not simply symptom by symptom. Finding a great Dr match can be very frustrating but well worth the wait!

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