[Wilfrid]

Thinking of changing my doctor. If anyone has a strong recommendation, please let me know (PM if you prefer). I am really looking for someone downtown - below midtown, anyway, and not a bully. I am no good at being bullied. I just become surly and unco-operative.

[splinky]

[Wilfrid]

No. Stop. I am deluged with replies.

[Maison Rustique]

Having just gone through/in the middle of the process of seeking both, I say that finding a good doctor and a good hairstylist are equally frustrating/difficult.

[Suzanne F]

Having just gone through/in the middle of the process of seeking both, I say that finding a good doctor and a good hairstylist are equally frustrating/difficult.

Word.

[Rail Paul]

NY Magazine has a regular listing of "New York's best doctors". The 2010 list should be out very soon.

The 2009 list shows 18 internal medicine people, several of whom have offices below Canal Street, and at least two of whom are in the Washington Square area.


NY metro

[Ron Johnson]

Not to say that those are not in fact the best doctors, but those may more likely be the doctors with the best PR reps.

[Lippy]

One thing you should keep in mind is the hospital affiliation, which tells you something about the way s/he is regarded professionally and gives you an idea of the other doctors s/he may refer you to. In your location, would definitely want someone affiliated with NYU.

[Rail Paul]

Not to say that those are not in fact the best doctors, but those may more likely be the doctors with the best PR reps.

Absolutely possible.

Over the years, we've generally used a three part process in screening doctors.

1) Recommendations of friends

2) Recommendations by our referring doctors

3) Screening those two sources against the several best doctor lists

It's worked well for us so far.

Lippy's point about hospital affiliation is important, too. A marginal hospital is likely to be skimping on lots of things. The list I cited for Wilfrid does provide the hospital affiliations, ad several are indeed NYU.


I'm very interested in the rise of the electronic patient management systems. My doctor has used the Allscripts system for several years. All of my tests are on it, in electronic form, all EKGs, blood work, etc. When I stopped by a few weeks ago for my blood pressure check, the nurse showed me the graph of all my bp readings over the past two years, with highlights for any unusual reports. My cardio and colonoscopy work was sent electronically, with all of that stuff, specialist's reports, etc.

All of this information can be shared electronically with the hospital, as well as all billing details, etc. I can get a fob with my critical health care information, if I wish, once they install the next upgrade.

[Ron Johnson]

Recommendations from medical malpractice attorneys are valuable as well.

[yvonne johnson]

This is a good one:

[g.johnson]

Recommendations from medical malpractice attorneys are valuable as well.

Can you be sued for lousy recommendations?

[Ron Johnson]

Recommendations from medical malpractice attorneys are valuable as well.

Can you be sued for lousy recommendations?

perhaps, but that would not constitute medical malpractice.

[Rail Paul]

Recommendations from medical malpractice attorneys are valuable as well.

Can you be sued for lousy recommendations?

perhaps, but that would not constitute medical malpractice.

one of the best investments I ever made was to engage an excellent personal insurance lawyer to sort out my personal medical insurance, the medical coverages provided by my auto policy, my disability insurance, the state's temporary disability coverage, my homeowner's policy, my uninsured motorist exposure, some excess risk coverages, the deductibles on my homeowners and auto policies, as well as some other exposures. He looked at it from the perspective of where could I be sued, and how well covered was I.

the suggestions were excellent, and saved me a bundle right away. It wasn't in either my life insurance guy's or my p&c guy's interest to point out or even look for the overlaps.

i'm better insured, at a significantly lower cost.

[ghostrider]

I don't know about anybody else, but I am pretty much confined to the listings of in-network docs from my health care provider, unless I want to pay full price at an out-network doc - $20 vs. $125 per visit.