Choosing a Healthcare provider is the number one decision at which you need to sit down and take a long hard look.
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5 steps to choosing the right doctor:
1. Listening
Have you ever been to the doctor, got a diagnosis and left with a prescription then get home and think, “what just happened there”? I certainly have been there, done that. Being “present” with patients is so important.
Does your doctor actually hear you concerns, go over them with you and respond to those concerns? There is a difference between spending five minutes with your doctor as he is on his way to other patients and spending five minutes with your doctor and there is nothing else on his mind but you. If you feel like you doctor is rushed, he or she is! But, does he/she focus on you or your child when in that five minutes space you have or do you feel like they are on their way out as soon as they come in. Regardless of time spent with you, does your doctor have “present-time consciousness” to be there when you need them most?
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2. Teaching
The word Doctor is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docere, which means to teach. The number one question when choosing the right doctor is, Do I learn from my doctor?
If your doctor isn’t teaching you, then unfortunately, he/she isn’t doing their job. I don’t mean to be abrasive here but the truth is that your doctor has all this knowledge and it is their duty to share that knowledge. The goal of being your family doctor should be to educate each patient on how they got sick, how to get un-sick and how to stay healthy.
3. Providing
As a healthcare provider, my patients have complete access to me. As a rule, all of my patients have my personal cell phone number and email address. Sometimes, just like anyone else, I get busy and do not have 10 minutes to speak with each patient. At the same time, I make 100% effort to be present when I am with each patient (See number 1).
I make an effort not to leaving as I am coming. The results are this, patients get well and feel like I care. But, my off hours aren’t just off hours. I am a doctor, hundreds of people depend on me. I have to be there for them. If I don’t, then they go to another doctor who might not care as much, might not educate as much and you know what happens when I fail to do my part. People get sick. Do you have your doctors email and personal cell phone number?
4. Options
Have you ever been to the doctor and they give you a medicine or therapy, you ask if there is another option and they get offended or even worse, they tell you there is no other option?
Recently, a friend of mine was diagnosed with four brain tumors. The doctors told him that they wanted to start chemotherapy immediately. He asked if there was another option and was told no repeatedly. He left the hospital, went to Nevada for a few weeks for alternative therapies and is now cancer free. Does your doctor give you options besides pill, potions, lotions and surgeries?
5. Answers
This not only refers to your doctor providing answers to your condition but answering your questions concerning other lifestyle choices. Unfortunately, most physicians are trained in treating symptoms and not finding causes to the problem.
Example: Did you know that a lot of skin problems, eczema and psoriasis included can be treated by diet alone and in fact, I have seen dozens of patients completely resolve years of embarrassment by just changing their diet to include good fats and taking some omega-3′s. When your guts are toxic and can no longer detox the “normal way” bowels are supposed to, toxins are released through your skin. Are you getting answers from your doctor or are you searching on the Internet for the cause of your problem? Maybe, that’s why you are reading day2dayjoys in the first place; because you are finding answers here.
Now what…
Choosing the right doctor is as simple as I have just written. All you have to do is follow these simple guidelines and you will find what you seek. If you ever have feelings that you aren’t getting the information you need or getting as healthy as you were created to be, don’t be afraid to seek care elsewhere. Just because they have been your doctor for 10 years, doesn’t mean you are married to them. And maybe the reason you are still sick after 5 to 10 years is because you still have the same doctor. Find a wellness doctor in your area here.
Be Blessed, Dr. Jake
About Rachel
These are great tips!
Great advice! Doctors such as these are very hard to come by these days, though.
I went through your article. These tips are very effective for me to find a good doctor who’s having these qualifications and it’s not an easy work as well.