In the medical profession, just like any other, there are good practitioners and there are bad. The problem is when a doctor is either incompetent, careless, greedy, or just plain dishonest. The only way that a patient can find out if any of the above applies to his or her physician is usually after the fact. There is no way for a patient to see the legal or medical status of a doctor to know how others find his performance.
There is no rating system, nor is there any means to learn how many lawsuits have been filed against him, or if he has been found derelict and sanctioned by his peers unless it appears in the newspapers or on TV. One doctor blowing the whistle on another is a rarity. Medicine is an exclusive fraternity, and its members stick together. One would be hard-pressed to find a dozen instances in any locality over the period of a year.
What then is a patient to do when looking for a physician? If they are already under a doctor's care, they can get a referral from him to a colleague who may be a specialist in the area where treatment is needed. In some states, there are Doctor referral services online, but these are a crapshoot in that only the name the address and the specialty are shown. Most of the time, the best reference comes from a friend who has had experience dealing with a specific doctor. This is usually your best recourse. You never know if there is a kickback on referrals, or if the referring doctor actually knows anything about the person to whom he is referring you personally.
Don't get me wrong. Most doctors are well-meaning, caring people. They have spent a good portion of their lives getting the education they needed to do what they believe in: the practice of medicine. It is a laudable and honorable profession, and they deserve the fruits of their labors. The sad thing is that most of them have become pill pushers who believe that medications are the only solution. To address that problem is the reason for this blog.
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