8 Signs You Need a New Doctor

Your doctor is one of the most important relationships you will ever have in your life. A good relationship with your doctor is extremely important when it comes to your overall health care. However, not all doctors are created equal.

There are signs you can use to identify when it might be time for you to find a new doctor. When you see these signs that’s when its time to begin your journey to finding a new medical professional.

Eight signs you need a new doctor include:

• Doctor doesn’t listen
• Personality conflicts
• Doesn’t share information
• Provides treatment you don’t need
• Consistently unavailable
• Long wait times
• Delayed results
• Difficult office staff

Any of these items can make it tough to maintain a relationship with your doctor.

Doctor doesn’t listen

In order to get the care you deserve and need, your doctor has to listen to what you have to say. If your doctor is constantly interrupting you every time you speak or isn’t actively engaged in the appointment, it may be time to get a new doctor.

Your doctor should be attentive when you come during appointments because the information that you have to provide is crucial. No one knows your body better than you do. If the doctor isn’t listening that means they can’t really provide the care you need.

Personality conflicts

Everyone has their own unique personality traits and that includes doctors. You have to find a doctor that gels well with your personality. If you don’t feel comfortable with the person that is responsible for a portion of your medical care you won’t receive the care you deserve.

If your doctor is condescending and rude you will have a problem communicating. A doctor that’s bossy and too aggressive not wanting to hear you when you speak is also a problem. All these things impact your trust. If you don’t trust your doctor you will never feel as if you get the care you deserve.

Doesn’t share information

When a doctor identifies a treatment plan for you, your doctor should discuss that treatment plan in detail with you. You are not required to take treatment that you don’t want. This is why it’s important for your doctor to explain the pros and cons and the details of the procedures being offered.

If your doctor is unwilling to explain the details of treatment being offered to you, you should strongly reconsider seeking another professional opinion. A good doctor will be transparent with a patient because good communication is key.

Provides treatment you don’t need

If every time you visit the doctor to discuss a medical concern and the doctor automatically offers up medical treatment you don’t need, it can delay getting the medical treatment that would be essential to getting better. There is no magic pill that can cure everything.

If your doctor offers up prescriptions without trying to identify the problem, it may not resolve your issue. If your doctor administers the wrong treatment for your symptoms it may be time to consider getting a new doctor.

It’s perfectly normal for your doctor to ask for tests or other work in order to make a diagnosis, however, all of these things should be useful towards your treatment. Tests should not be done just because they are options in your healthcare plan.

Never available when you need them

Ever had a doctor that’s only available for a standard doctor appointment but unable or unavailable to discuss lab work or other concerns you may have about your medical care? A doctor that is unavailable to you beyond an office co-pay may not be the doctor for you.

A doctor can be extremely busy due to having a large number of patients, however, if you’re unable to connect with your doctor outside of a routine appointment it becomes hard to get the care you need.

Look for a doctor that is open to having office appointments that also include discussions and may not include actual physical exams. The more information you provide to your doctor the better they can provide a care plan suited to meet your needs.

Long waits for the doctor

Time is something that once you use it you can never get it back. When you visit the doctor time is an important factor that determines how you view the experience. If you spend the bulk of your time waiting for the doctor versus seeing the doctor it can also make it hard for you to trust the medical care.

If the doctor is consistently 20 or more minutes late that might signal the practice may have more patients than the doctor can handle. This may also mean the doctor isn’t able to spend much time with each patient limiting care.

If the doctor doesn’t allow patients to be tardy without consequence but expects you to wait 45 minutes before you’re seen, it may be time to consider finding a new doctor. Patients and doctors have to work together to keep things moving smoothly.

Delay obtaining results

Testing and lab work can cause some anxiety when you’re trying to figure out why you may not be feeling your best. It’s even more unnerving when you’re having a difficult time obtaining these results from your doctor.

If you are unable to obtain the test results in a timely fashion or unable to obtain the test results at all that’s not normal. You have a right to know the results of your tests. If you request a copy of your lab results you also have a right to that information as well.

Any doctor unwilling to give you a copy of your test results isn’t normal.

Office staff is hard to deal with

Once I had an awesome doctor but his office staff was always a pain. They constantly messed up the scheduling appointments or failed to act in a professional manner when patients came into the office. Sometimes many of us felt as if we were interrupting their good time.

If your doctor’s staff is unorganized or unprofessional it may be time to find a new doctor. Remember, the money you pay your doctor goes towards that staff and it’s important that the people that support the doctor are also as good as the doctor.

When it comes to your health you have a right to have a doctor that you feel comfortable with and trust they view your medical care as a priority. If you have to guess about the ability and commitment of your doctor, it is time to find a new doctor.

You are not obligated to remain with the doctor that you begin your medical journey. Identify the characteristics and traits for your ideal doctor and go out and find the doctor that meets your needs.

It’s your body and it’s your responsibility to make sure any medical professional that you choose to be a part of your medical journey has the same dedication and commitment to your wellness as you do.