You use the Internet to research computers, televisions and other goods. So why not use it to research things that really matter? The Yellow Pages can’t tell you if a doctor is good or a lawyer is worth a high fee. But a number of websites do.
For instance, let’s say you switched health plans or moved. Perhaps you need a heart surgeon. Or, you might want to check out your current doctor. Whatever answers you’re seeking, the Web is a great place to start.
Your first stop should be your health insurance company. Most have sites. Most likely the information will be cursory – phone numbers, office hours and location.
There are two advantages here. Most insurance sites allow you to search by location, specialty and sometimes gender. Also, insurance sites will probably list only doctors who accept your health plan.
Next, try the American Medical Association’s (www.ama-assn.org) DoctorFinder. It provides basic information about nearly 700,000 doctors in the United States. It lists both members and nonmembers of the AMA. According to the AMA, members promise to follow the highest ethical standards.
Your state’s medical board probably has more detailed information.
Some states, such as California, Connecticut and New York, require physicians to disclose disciplinary action or outcomes of malpractice suits.
Each state has its own medical board. Some are independent, while others belong to a larger group, such as a department of health.
However, all belong to the national Federation of State Medical Boards (www.fsmb.org).
The Federation of State Medical Boards runs a disciplinary history reporting service called DocInfo (www.docinfo.org). It claims to have recorded 156,000 disciplinary actions related to about 46,000 doctors dating back to the 1960s. It charges $10 per doctor’s report.
But disciplinary reports are free from state medical boards. You can search individual websites, but that’s a hassle. Try the Administrators in Medicine’s (www.docboard.org) database. Enter the last name (and first name, to narrow the search) of a doctor. The site will search more than a dozen states’ medical boards.
Not every state is included in the database. However, the site provides links to medical boards of states not listed.
It can be as important to check out a hospital as a doctor.
HealthGrades (www.healthgrades.com) provides a free hospital rating.
Finding a lawyer is another confusing and scary process. If your issue is serious, you might not want to approach co-workers or friends for recommendations.
FindLaw (www.findlaw.com) and Martindale-Hubbell (www.lawyers.com) provide extensive information on law firms and individual lawyers. You can search by area of expertise, location or by name. The sites provide location, website and contact information.
The sites also provide more extensive information, such as educational background, practice areas and associations to which a lawyer belongs.
