Tips on Finding a Holistic Doctor
I personally prefer having a holistic doctor who is also an MD. Here’s a website which might help with picking a Holistic MD/Functional Medicine Practitioner: http://www.FunctionalMedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
When I’m choosing a new doctor, I go to their websites and check out their bios. I choose the ones I like and then call several of them. I tell the receptionist I’m shopping around for a new care provider and request a short seven minute phone call with him/her so I can get a feel for the doctor on the phone before I commit to a costly (time and $$) appointment.
Some of them say okay right away, and some insist I make an appointment. I try to emphasize (without being pushy) that it’s better if I can speak to the doctor and that it will only be a short call. Realistically, the calls end up being 7-15 minutes, but that’s enough time to get an impression. If they don’t allow this, I move on to the next doctor and decide later if it’s worth making an appointment with them.
I try to call 2-5 doctors in one week, and I take notes during and after the call:
- I tell them in 1-2 sentences what the problem is and ask how they would go about treating it. If you’re trying to see if the doctor administers a particular test, by all means, ask them on the phone if they use that test and which labs they use for data analysis.
- Ask how much they charge for the first appointment and how much they charge for follow-ups.
- Ask if they require you to submit any forms ahead of time. I find that the best doctors are the ones that ask you for lots and lots of information ahead of time (such as history of illness, family history, etc.), AND they also review your forms before your appointment.
- During the call, jot down answers to the above questions.
- After the call, write down your first impressions of him/her. Did you like his/her manner and attitude with you? Did their plan of action (if they gave you one) fit with how you’d like to proceed? What else struck you about him/her? Did they use any scare tactics to get you to make and appointment? That’s usually a red flag for me.
Doing this with each call gives me a way to compare and choose the doctor that best fits my personality and my needs.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it has helped me not waste my precious time and money on doctors that are not a good fit for me. Thankfully, I didn’t have do this with our holistic MD because her bio was outstanding compared to the other alternative practitioners that I’d already visited.
And of course, I try to pray before I start this whole process, asking Jesus to help me find the practitioner that’s best for me. If I forget, I just pray when I remember, and thank God for every little bit of progress.
I hope this post helps you, and I pray that the Lord will be one step ahead of you as you search for a doctor.
Recent Comments