How To Find The Right Doctor

By Scott Roberts, 16 Feb 09:24

Five ways to find Dr. Right

* Story Highlights
* Your relationship with your physician involves trust and vulnerability
* A visit for a problem of limited scope can help you judge a new doctor
* Use the Internet for research as well
* As in any other relationship, trust your instinct once you've met him or her

Empowered Patient, a regular feature from CNN Medical News correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, helps put you in the driver's seat when it comes to health care.

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A few years back, Amy went on a search for a new doctor. She had to. Her old doctor fired her.

Amy never dreamed her doctor would ditch her, but there she found herself, reading his certified letter giving her 30 days to find a new physician. After a few moments of soul searching -- Had she asked too many questions? Brought in one too many Internet printouts? -- Amy set out to find her perfect doctor match.

"I was more than ticked off. I'd been with him for almost 10 years," says Amy (that's not her real name; because of the contentious nature of her relationship with her doctor she asked to use a pseudonym). "It was a lot of stress finding a new doctor I could trust."

Breaking up, finding a new partner, hoping for the perfect match: Sound a lot like relationships? That's not a coincidence. Both involve trust, vulnerability, and seeing your most private body parts. "I consider the doctor-patient

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