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ARTHRITIS DOCTORThere are many doctors available in a given area; however an arthritis doctor specializes in dealing with arthritis. It is advisable to find an arthritis doctor, and to have a good relationship with him. Arthritis support groups may be able to guide you when looking for a health care provider, including arthritis doctor in your area. You can get a list of local arthritis support groups from various sources like internet, local directories and newspapers. You can also get the opinions of friends or other people regarding a certain arthritis doctor. Most people are not qualified to characterize a doctor as competent or incompetent. However, compassion and understanding, good “bedside manner” and an open mind are qualities that count in an arthritis doctor. Before you contact the health care providers/arthritis doctors you are interested in, you can get some basic background information about them. For example: Are they licensed? Are they board certified? Have they ever been sued for malpractice? At which hospital(s) do they have privileges? Are they in your insurance plan? Do they accept Medicaid/Medicare (if applicable)? Call the offices of the arthritis doctors who meet your criteria and speak with the office managers. Find out how they feel about arthritis. Ask if the doctor is familiar with arthritis? Does he or she diagnose arthritis? Does he or she treat arthritis? How many arthritis patients does he or she have?” Call your health insurer first to find out which health care providers/arthritis doctors are in your plan. You can also run a background check on the educational qualifications etc of your arthritis doctor. Through the AMA… (American Medical Association) you can find out about a doctor’s educational background and areas of medical specialty and whether or not the doctor is a member of the AMA. American Board of Medical Specialties will tell you whether a doctor is board certified or board eligible in a particular area. For a fee Medi-Net accesses databases from the AMA, three federal agencies and all 50 state medical boards to provide basic background information on a doctor and whether he or she has been disciplined for billing fraud, over prescribing, incompetence or another offense. When You Go to the Doctor... Exercise your right to receive appropriate medical care, but respect that office visits do have time limits. Be prepared for your visit with a list of your symptoms and medications - many arthritis patients find that keeping a symptom diary helps them talk to their doctors better. Ask questions and answer questions fully. Write things down. You might even want to ask permission to audiotape the visit. Your health care provider/arthritis doctor is invaluable and will play a crucial part in dealing with arthritis. |
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