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In today’s world of managed care, patients are often forced
to choose physicians almost blindly from a list supplied by their
insurance companies. How can you be sure you’re choosing
a doctor with a clean malpractice record and one who’s compatible
with your needs? Through research and direct questioning of your
potential physician, you can find a doctor who is a good fit for
you and your family.
To research the malpractice record of your doctor, you have several
options – some are free, others are fee-driven:
• The Texas State
Board of Medical Examiners site list doctors’ credentials,
in addition to their disciplinary records.This site is free, but
unfortunately it’s not incredibly user friendly and the information
on the site is minimal, at best.
• Questionabledoctors.org offers a list of disciplined doctors
from 27 states (including Texas) for free. For a small fee, you
can get a detailed discipline report about individual doctors on
the list.
• Healthgrades.com offers physician report cards on more
than 600,000 doctors in 78 specialties. The information is compiled
from state medical boards, physicians, health departments, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and publicly available
directories or telephone surveys. You can get basic information
for free and more detailed information on specific physicians for
a small fee.
• Searchpointe.com combines data from 50 states to provide
a single, nationwide source for physicians’ credentials.
Free of charge, you can find out a doctor's specialty, education
and address and license status. For a nominal fee, you’ll
receive information on license details and sanctions.
Increasingly more and more state medical boards are posting information
online, so check with your state’s medical board to see if
you can access your doctor’s malpractice record on the web.
Of course, you can always ask your doctor directly about their
background: What does their training and background include? Have
they been subject to any disciplinary action?
Once you’ve determined that your doctor’s background
meets your standards, there are several more personal factors that
you might want to consider before making your final decision:
• Which hospitals have granted the doctor privileges? Are
those facilities convenient for you?
• What are the doctor’s office hours?
• Does the doctor or someone in the office speak the language
that you are most comfortable speaking?
• Who covers for the doctor when he/she is not available?
• How long does it usually take to get an appointment?
• How are urgent care and emergency situations handled
Commitment to Personal Injury Clients
Personal Injury lawyer Jeffrey H. Rasansky has one mission: to
fight for the rights of personal injury victims, people just like
you. Jeff has successfully represented victims of: personal injury,
nursing home abuse, nursing home neglect, nursing home negligence,
medical malpractice, car wrecks and product liability.
Jeff Rasansky is licensed to practice before all state courts
in Texas, the United States District Courts in the Northern and
Eastern Districts of Texas and the Fifth United States Circuit
Court of Appeals.
Click here to contact
The Rasansky Law Firm.
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