If You Were Looking for a New OB/GYN What Would You Need to Know/ Want to Ask?

personal referrals are helpful. i also google and find web reviews when they're available, angie's list, that sort of thing. i don't buy into everything i read, but it's nice if you can get a bit of an advanced feel.
i myself have not actually interviewed health care professionals before booking an appointment, but there's nothing wrong with doing so. i generally just go, and if i'm displeased i don't go back.
that's certainly not the most efficient method, though, is it?
khairete
S.

At almost 47 I've had more than a few docs in my life, and was fairly satisfied with most of them.
I just go on my insurance website and look for doctors in my area that are accepting new patients. If I don't like the person/practice I don't go back, I just try another doc for the next appointment until I find one I like.
I feel like they're all pretty much the same anyway, it's more a matter of personality/bedside manner, which you can't really "research" you know?

I'm with Mamazita. Friend recommendations+insurance coverage = my new doctor. If I don't like them I don't go back.

I always start off with the hospital that I prefer. Then I check to see that a doctor is affiliated with that hospital and takes my insurance. I decided on my current gyn because he is the head of robotic surgery at my preferred hospital. If I didn't like him then I would have used another practice for my next visit.

Friend recommendations are great but some things that I might think are a problem are fine for someone else. I switched my primary care doctor because it always took 2 days for them to call me back on anything and 2-3 days to schedule an appointment. Some people might be ok with that but since I rarely use a doctor its important for them to call me back the same day I call.

First, make sure the doctor is board certified as an OB/GYN. Kaiser requires this, but other medical plans don't always require it. You really want that to be the person's specialty.

There are a number of websites with patient reviews now. Do a Google search on the ones in your plan and see what comes up. Also good the doctor's name with the word lawsuit to see if anything crops up. From there, you'll need to call to find out if they're even accepting new patients. The time we were out of Kaiser, I was floored at how hard it was to get in with doctors. Most weren't taking on new patients.

Many doctors have websites that cover their educational backgrounds, specialized training and experience, so that can also give you a sense of whether they have the right expertise. For me, I'd be looking at one with perimenopausal/menopausal expertise over childbirth, and your needs may be completely different.

I don't know if it's possible, but if I could ask/talk to anyone...it would be the nurses. The OBGYN nurses that have to work every day in stressful situations with the doctors. They would be the ones who would know who's the best.

Good luck!

A lot of good ideas below. I have a medical condition that causes me to have a number of doctors so I have had to go through this for more then one doctor.
What I do is start with insurance and see who is on the plan.
Get names from other people and drs that I like and respect.
Obviously look at their specialties and sub specialties.
Look online to see if I can find out more about the dr. (Keep in mind that most people who leave online reviews do so because something negative happened and they are angry or hurt.)

Then I have a list of possibilities. From that I take the time to call and talk to the office staff. You can get a great idea of how the dr is by how they run their office. If I haven't found the information at this point, I get an idea of their CV. I want to know how long they have practiced, what schools they graduated from, whether they are an MD or a DO, and anything about their ongoing education, etc.
I want the whole picture of the Dr before I go. Then I set up an appt for a consult, or whatever, so I can meet the dr and staff face to face.

I'd get a couple of referrals from my primary care physician (or my husband's), and I'd specify what qualities I'm looking for (like if I want a woman, or a certain type of bedside manner, or if I want someone conservative/cautious or not, any other priorities). These doctors tend to know ear other, and of course they'll have lists of people who accept your insurance.

Send Angioplasty a message. She's a nurse and I'll bet she can give you good advice.

I chose mine because of what a nurse manager who was in MBA courses with my husband told him. Turned out the he was the ob/gyn of several people I knew, and they all thought the world of him. But the nurse manager was the opinion I valued the most...

Within obgyn, doctors have specialties, especially in urban areas. So yes you are on the right track with the basics like do they serve the hospital you prefer to go to and are they convenient to you. But beyond that, look the person up online or call the office and ask things important to your stage of life.

For example, OBs who mostly deliver babies and have training in infertility or high risk pregnancy might be perfect for a woman anticipating having kids in the next few years.

But that same doc is not ideal for a woman done having kids who is currently or will likely soon be going through menopause. In this case, you want a gyn with more experience in midlife issues.

There are obgyn generalists who try to do a little bit of everything, especially in rural areas where there are not a lot of healthcare options. But if you live in an area where you have the opportunity to seek someone highly trained in your stage of life, i say take it.

I would look for online reviews (Google, Yelp, Health Grades, etc.), and ask neighbors and friends. Then find out if they take your insurance, have the right hospital affiliation for you, and if they are taking new patients.

If I was pregnant or planned to be, I would want to know what their philosophy was concerning cesarean sections and VBAC, I would also want to know if they would support my birth plan. I prefer doctors who are more hands-off, and who feel they are there to support the birth process rather than direct it.

Outside of pregnancy, I would want to make sure they offered all birth control options (some don't here in Texas). I would also try to make sure the same problems you are having at your current practice won't be issues at the new place.

Good luck!

Call your provider and get the list of those who take their coverage. That will take some off the list of possibilities. Then you can look for reviews but overall every person has a different opinion and their own life experiences that influence how they interact with people and how they get along with people.

If I see a lot of bad reviews I probably would just move on though. If I see both good and bad I might put that one on the list of possibilities.

If you're on FB there are usually all sorts of pages or groups that pertain specifically to your area. If you find one of those pages where people can give you reviews on docs then you'll get a few specific names that will be good referrals and those who'll say don't go. Ours are "community" and "review" pages.

Other than getting FB reviews you can always ask your friends again or just go with your gut.

I actually found a new OB/GYN and family dentist on Yelp. People who get good or bad service will always find a way to tell it. Once I found the doctors in our insurance network, I visited their website. From their I went to Yelp to see what others thought about them, their staff, and their service. So far, I'm 2 for 2! Kids love the dentist and so far, I'm very pleased with my OB/GYN.

check the doctors website, if there is no "so-so" reviews ..you arent getting the whole picture. if the doctor keeps you waiting for more then 15-20 minutes..leave. if the doctor brushes off your questions, or immediately launches into a hard sell approach ..leave. if the doctor has a much higher then average c section rate..leave. if the doctor acts condescending..leave. if the doctor refuses to be interviewed, without an appointment to be seen..leave.and lastly, look at the pictures of the doctors patients..are any of them of your ethnic group, age or disability..if not..leave. K. h