How to Choose the Best Primary Care Doctor

Last Updated on January 7, 2021

#6 – Your Doctor Shouldn’t Make You Feel Rushed

You know that your doctor is a keeper when you leave feeling that you’ve been attentively listened to and that all your questions have been answered. According to a recent report, doctors spend from 13 to 16 minutes per patient on average.

Well, that’s not enough time for a doctor you only see once per year. A different study revealed that doctors let patients speak for only 12 seconds before they interrupt them.

When patients find the right doctor, they leave the appointment satisfied that their concerns and questions were addressed with sincerity, patience, and honesty.

The ‘right’ doctor should make you comfortable disclosing your most intimate health concerns and can partner with you to come up with the most appropriate and helpful treatment plan for you.

#7 – Think About Gender Preference

It’s hard to tell what your doctor is really thinking, so you may feel more comfortable discussing certain problems with a doctor of the same sex as you. Even though it might not matter concerning the quality of care you receive.

According to a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, patients aged 65 and older who are treated by female physicians have decreased mortality and remission rates within one month of discharge from the hospital.

On an individual level, however, the gender of the doctor does not dictate her or his compassion or competency.

#8 – Technology Can Help

Medical advances are sprouting more hope every day, and your doctor might be keeping up with it on an individual level by creating a more tech-savvy practice to better treat and assist patients.

For instance, having a patient website with all information available, keeping electronic records to avoid asking for paper versions, and making it easier for patients to contact them by email, are all great things to consider when choosing a doctor (as long as it doesn’t replace real interaction.)

An ideal doctor-patient relationship is based on a personal level, and technology helps a lot in how we communicate, but it should never change or replace the need for communication.