Give Your Doctor a Check-Up: Separating Fact from Fiction When Researching Doctors Online
A leading medical malpractice attorney wants to let the public to know about some of the best online resources to find out if your doctor is qualified or a quack. People check out restaurant ratings and movie reviews online. However, what about scrutinizing the person who is taking care of your life or the well-being of your child?
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 12, 2008 -- Checking out your doctor is crucial to ensuring your health, but how can you be sure online information is trustworthy? A leading medical malpractice attorney, Jeffrey Kroll (www.kroll-lawfirm.com), wants to let the public to know about some of the best resources to find out if your doctor is qualified or a quack.
"People check out restaurant ratings and movie reviews online. However, what about scrutinizing the person who is taking care of your life or the well-being of your child?" says Kroll.
For example, "When doctors are members of the American Medical Association (AMA) that does not guarantee them a 'four-star' rating. AMA membership does not necessarily indicate a doctor's complete history because they can become members even with blemished backgrounds," Kroll says. "Conversely, if your online research reveals a pending malpractice case, this may not mean they're a bad physician. It might be they took on a long-shot, high-risk case other doctors refused to handle or it could be that a lawsuit without any merit was filed against them. A lawsuit, in and of itself, means very little about a doctor's qualifications."
Kroll recommends three online tools to provide reliable information about potential doctors:
| | - A Nation-Wide Search Could Reveal a Doctor Being Disciplined in Another State: Kroll recommends the Federation of State Medical Boards (www.docinfo.org). Here you can learn if a doctor has been sanctioned by any medical board in the U.S. Kroll points out that if a doctor has a bad record in another state, it may not show up in where he or she is currently practicing. While this search costs $9.95, it's a great form of preventative health care.
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| | - Disciplinary Actions Against a Doctor Can be Found in Public Records: Most states have a department of professional regulation. And one place to find links to most state sites is www.docboard.org/docfinder.html. Most are free sites that allow you to find out if a doctor's license is active in a particular state and can describe any disciplinary actions against a doctor. However, it is limited to records in that state only.
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| | - Board Certification Can Act as a "Seal of Approval": American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org) allows you to check on medical specialties ranging from adolescent medicine to vascular surgery. When doctors get a state medical license, it only tells you they met the minimum requirements and does not ensure that the doctor has expertise in a specialty.
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Getting to the right doctors is a two-step process, "First, make a list of potential doctors by asking for referrals from trusted medical professionals, friends and family. Then you can rely on these Web sites to dig a little deeper," Kroll says. "If the doctor seems to check out, you'll know that you did your homework. If there are questionable issues, it gives you the opportunity to query the doctor or look elsewhere."
About Jeffrey J. Kroll
With 17 years' experience representing victims and their families, Jeffrey Kroll has seen firsthand the pain experienced by individuals and families in medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death actions. While The Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll is best known for its success in fighting for victims of auto, truck and bus accidents, it has achieved record verdicts and settlements in a wide range of practice areas. Kroll is AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell's highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability. For more information about Kroll's work with personal injury and wrongful death cases, visit www.kroll-lawfirm.com
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