For general medical needs, most consumers choose a local primary care physician (family physician or internist) affiliated with their community hospital. For a highly complex problem, you may need special expertise available at a regional or national facility. Your local physician can help guide this decision.
All physicians have a similar portfolio of credentials:
Education: medical school, and residency training (required for all specialists including primary care physicians);
Board certification: successful completion of residency, and passing a certification exam.
Active state license to practice: reviewed and renewed every two years
Staff privileges: the hospital(s) where the physician practices; reviewed and renewed every two years
Insurances accepted: insurance companies review and renew physician credentials periodically
These details are available online from the websites listed in the Physicians topic section.
The majority of this information is subjective, based on polls of doctors. Lately more objective information is emerging based on quality and patient outcomes. However, this information is still not perfect. A trusted health care professional is often the best advisor on finding the right doctor.
For more details, Consumer Reports has an excellent discussion on its website in the “Doctors” section, entitled “How to Choose a Doctor”.
Some websites, such as Yelp and Angie’s List, provide consumer ratings of physicians.
Making appointments: Some websites connect patients online with contracted physicians. The sites may also offer information about these physicians training, education, and patient ratings. These services are in the early development and may be limited by geographic range and a small number of enrolled physicians.
Second opinions and virtual visits: A number of websites offer second opinions and in some cases live, online visits. These services may be available only through contracts through employers or insurance companies.