My wife suggested to a friend that she talk to me about finding a good doctor, researching the best/worst etc.  Why me?  I ain’t no Doctor.  I don’t even play one on TV.

Well, I have a pretty good track record of researching for my loved ones, so I guess my wife thinks I have some mystical power in this.  All I can say is: its hard work.   Both my Dad, and Mom In-Law recently had some very rare ailments for example, and it took many days of research, and more, just to narrow down where the best solution would be found (see, I am an engineer, I talk like one, don’t I?  At least I didn’t say trouble shoot or bug fix).

Anyway, her friend sent me an email asking to research a couple Doctors for her.  This was in regards to her eye surgery, which apparently did not go well by the first surgeon she named.   She is now looking for a second opinion, and gave me the name of another Doctor a friend referred her to.   Here was my answer (names have been changed to protect the innocent …er, no to protect my ass):

Miriam,

First of all check out
http://www.lasikfraud.com/

A google search on “Dr.<name deleted>”  showed this link with his name at the top.

When my Mom came up with cancer in 1995 I went to the library and discovered a few large mutli volume books which are updated every year.   They were very helpful,  and in hindsight have been very accurate.   The first was called “Best Doctors in America…”.  This survey is peer to peer ratings, i.e. doctors who rank other doctors.   Its pretty interesting, almost like asking a group of physicians who they would go to  if they had a particular ailment outside of their specialty.   This book is updated every year and I am sure you can find it at a major library.

These days of course, they have a website which you have to be a member to.  Might be worth it.

http://www.bestdoctors.com/corp/index.html

This is actually the best thing you can do yourself.  If you know a GREAT doctor in one specialty, ask that doctor who they would use for another specialty…

My Mom’s oncologist (and Kelly’s) is the best, a perfectionist,  and we often ask him who he would recommend for such and such.  The wrong question is to ask a doctor what he thinks of another doctor.  Won’t work.

There also was a book back then called “Questionable Doctors…” .  It ranked based on disciplinary actions and/ or I guess, law suits.  It was also very helpful.  My Mom’s original oncologist was not only a bad doctor, but probably a bad person, and his history in that book proved it (I discovered later than I would have liked).

Their online website at www.questionabledoctors.org

but it sounds like they no longer publish the book and defer to

http://www.docinfo.org/

which of course charges for each inquiry.

There are a lot of Public/consumer sites for review and rating doctors.  They are hit and miss.   The best I think, is

http://www.ratemds.com

Your <name deleted> does not have a review there.   http://www.healthgrades.com is another website to check.

Dr <for second opinion>   in Hayward does have one Good review.

I also check their web sites and publications. I read their bios, and history.  This Dr <for second opinion> looks alright to me.

Yeah, googling for Doctors, that works.   Soon we’ll just google the ailment, and download an update, forget these middleman doctors.