Top five mistakes when choosing an orthopedic surgeon
14/4-09 at 12.08 by: Kevin Templin
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When one first discovers that they have an injury that needs the attention of an orthopedic specialist, how do you choose your specialist wisely?
In general, there are five things you should consider when choosing an orthopedic surgeon or clinic:
1. Don't just randomly pick a surgeon from the phone book. Ask your doctor, friends, family, nurses, or do research on the Internet. Develop a list of potential surgeons from those sources and narrow your choices by considering the following four items.
2. Look at the surgeon's qualifications. Here are some the the things to look for:
Member:
American Medical Association
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery
American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine
Arthroscopy Association of North America
American Sports Medicine Institute
Also look for a fellowship trained physician and someone who trained under well-known or prestigious surgeons.
3. Make sure they take your insurance. Also, make sure you find out the details of your coverage, including your co-pays. Remember, many times with surgery or not, you will require physical therapy. Each and every physical therapy session will require you to pay the co-pay.
It pays to get these details ironed-out before you waste your time and that of the clinic's administrative personnel.
4. Look for testimonials. The best case is if you know someone treated under a particular specialist. If you can't find anyone that you know, look on the website for testimonials. Most specialists don't ask for testimonials from people so if you find one, it's probably an unsolicited testimonial, which is a good sign.
Don't get me wrong, there are many great surgeons that don't have testimonials posted on their website, it's just another piece of the puzzle that can help you make a decision.
5. Make sure your specialist has significant and extensive experience performing work on your problem area. If you are having knee problems, make sure you see a specialist that has been working with knees for years. If you have a back problem, see someone with extensive back experience.
Remember, practice makes perfect, and this goes for surgeons too!
Good luck and for a more detailed report on the five mistakes people make when choosing an orthopedic specialist, just fill out the form on this page and we will send it to you via email.
Technorati Profile
When one first discovers that they have an injury that needs the attention of an orthopedic specialist, how do you choose your specialist wisely?
In general, there are five things you should consider when choosing an orthopedic surgeon or clinic:
1. Don't just randomly pick a surgeon from the phone book. Ask your doctor, friends, family, nurses, or do research on the Internet. Develop a list of potential surgeons from those sources and narrow your choices by considering the following four items.
2. Look at the surgeon's qualifications. Here are some the the things to look for:
Member:
American Medical Association
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery
American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine
Arthroscopy Association of North America
American Sports Medicine Institute
Also look for a fellowship trained physician and someone who trained under well-known or prestigious surgeons.
3. Make sure they take your insurance. Also, make sure you find out the details of your coverage, including your co-pays. Remember, many times with surgery or not, you will require physical therapy. Each and every physical therapy session will require you to pay the co-pay.
It pays to get these details ironed-out before you waste your time and that of the clinic's administrative personnel.
4. Look for testimonials. The best case is if you know someone treated under a particular specialist. If you can't find anyone that you know, look on the website for testimonials. Most specialists don't ask for testimonials from people so if you find one, it's probably an unsolicited testimonial, which is a good sign.
Don't get me wrong, there are many great surgeons that don't have testimonials posted on their website, it's just another piece of the puzzle that can help you make a decision.
5. Make sure your specialist has significant and extensive experience performing work on your problem area. If you are having knee problems, make sure you see a specialist that has been working with knees for years. If you have a back problem, see someone with extensive back experience.
Remember, practice makes perfect, and this goes for surgeons too!
Good luck and for a more detailed report on the five mistakes people make when choosing an orthopedic specialist, just fill out the form on this page and we will send it to you via email.
Technorati Profile