Picking a Gastroenterologist can be a tricky task to perform as it is extensively a personal matter. You can simply rely on advertisements and menial recommendations when it comes to GI health.
Having a professional Gastroenterologist perform your thorough GI exam is important to evaluate the problem and find its suitable solution in a safe manner. Here are a few tips which can help you in selecting the best GI physician in your city:
1. Obtain referrals:
The first and foremost thing to do before picking a Gastroenterologist is to get referrals. From referrals, it is meant that instead of finding a GI by yourself, you should consider getting recommendations from your primary care doctor.
If you know a family or a friend who has undergone the same circumstances as yours, you can also get their opinion and recommendation for finding the best GI for yourself. Make a list of all the consultants and call each of them to schedule an appointment. In this way, you will be able to shortlist the Gastroenterologist which you most liked.
2. Check his credentials:
The next action to perform once the short-listing is done is to evaluate the credentials of the GI consultant. It is more than important for a GI in consideration to have a government or private issued license and certifications which validate his suitability for practicing internal and GI medicine.
The credentials must speak for a GI’s suitability for the job and his relevant experience and skills. This step will help you eliminate quacks and inexperienced individuals from your list- which is obviously in your best interest.
3. Investigate his experience:
Every top-notch GI consultant has an immense deal of past experience. GI patients are a part and parcel of his day to day activities. Through his professional experience, a professional GI is best able to evaluate your problem and handle the situation.
Ask him for previous encounters or research his past achievements in order to get an idea of GI’s experience. In this regard, you can also fill out the patient survey forms and check if the doctor is able to well-comprehend your problem. Investigation of past experience of a GI also helps in the development of doctor-patient trust in addition to mutual understanding.
4. Gender considerations:
The GI experts of today are better than ever. Although medicine regards no gender considerations as a patient, you have the right to pick a gender with whom you are most comfortable with. GI exams are quite personal and feeling uncomfortable on the checking table is the last thing you would ever want to experience.
Directly ask for the gender of the doctor if you are talking to the manager. You can also request an alternative if you are not comfortable with the GI’s gender. Remember, it is your right and there is no shame in obtaining it.
5. Hospital Quality checks:
There is no exaggeration in the fact that your doctor’s hospital is your hospital. If your GI in consideration is serving at a hospital, make proper quality and hygiene checks of the place. You are most likely to visit the same place for your check at which your GI is working at.
In order to avoid unhygienic and poor quality examination rooms, inspect the hospital’s quality. If the physician has a private clinic, follow the same inspection rules to make no compromise on your health.
6. Communication style:
You can not expect a doctor to understand your problem if you do not explain the symptoms to him. Similarly, you can not expect to understand your problem if your doctor is poor at responding or communicating.
In practical medicine, communication is the key factor for identifying the problem from its roots. Have a couple of conversations over a call with the GI and check is he gives you all the attention while talking to you. If he does, he has good communication skills and shall be considered.
7. Note your insurance coverage:
The last thing you would want is to end up in a perfect GI’s office but fail to pay his fees. Always check what your insurance will cover for you instead of diving right into the GI’s examination room.
It’s great to know that having a preference for the gender of my gastroenterologist is a totally valid thing in the medical field. I’ve been having a lots of stomach aches lately that feel very much acidic in nature. I do hope this isn’t a sign of ulcer or other dangerous ailments.