I frequently hear from friends or patients that they are changing physicians due to discontent.  I encourage that.  It’s important to feel comfortable with your  physician.   Here are some things to consider. . .

Distrust.  No faith.  Not feeling heard.  Poor communication.  Inattentive office staff.   For any reason you do not trust your physician’s  judgment or won’t take their advice, you are seeing the wrong physician.  There are many reasons to change physicians, some are not related to the physician’s skills and others aren’t.  All are important.

You can stack the deck, to find a good match.  Get a referral: ask trusted friends who is their physician.  Research office hours and location as this may help address your expectations and convenience.  You can look on websites www.vitals.com or www.healthgrades.com  for patient reviews of physicians.   Be sure to check if the physician is board certified.   Board certification means the physician  has completed an approved residency program and passed a detailed written exam in at least one of 24 specialty areas, such as family practice, internal medicine, or obstetrics and gynecology.  A free site to check is  the American Board of Medical Specialties at  www.abms.org.  Choose a physician who accepts your insurance.  Make an appointment.  Meet the physician.  Ask questions.

Establish your physician-patient relationship before you are ill or need admission to the hospital.    You are in control.  Do some legwork, shake some hands. . . so that you choose a physician you both like and trust.

Hope this helps.