Doctor Finder Checklist

Doctor Checklist

Brain Injury Resource Center

A service of Head Injury Hotline
Providing Difficult to Find Information
About Head Injury Since 1985
212 Pioneer Bldg.
Seattle, WA 98104-2221
206-621-8558
brain@headinjury.com
http://www.headinjury.com

Doctor Finder Checklist

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Choosing the right doctor. In this age of specialization, it is wise to find a doctor with appropriate credentials, and expertise in the areas of your interest. The objective is to find a doctor who is technically up to date, and who cares about your suffering and the suffering of your family. If the doctor does not have special expertise and appropriate credentials in head injury, find someone who does.

You will want to find someone who will trust you and help you to identify and manage your own impairments. Not every doctor is willing to allow you this kind of freedom and support. Before anything else is settled, tell the doctor specifically what you want. If the doctor is unwilling to cooperate with you, keep looking until you find the right one for you.

Of equal importance is the type of treatment or program. A 1998 Report by the National Institutes of Heath found that many brain rehabilitation programs provided little appreciable benefit. It also found many brain injury rehab treatments to be expensive, unproven, and lacking in scientific rigor.

An unproved treatment is often described as any medical practice or intervention that:

Lacks sufficient documentation of its safety and effectiveness against specific diseases and conditions
Is not generally taught in U.S. medical schools

Is not generally reimbursable by health insurance providers.

Remember, it is your right to be responsible for your own health care decisions. It is important that you feel comfortable with your doctors and confident that they know you, and your specific medical or rehab needs. It is equally important that they be knowledgeable about resources in the community in which you live.

The following checklist will help you determine whether your doctor possesses essential qualifications. A high number of "yes" answers in each category is a good sign. Another good sign is the amount of special training and certification in brain injury. In fact, the more years of training and experience the better. Of equal importance is the percentage of the practice that is devoted to treating disorders like yours.

Finally, set rehabilitation goals for your self. Ask yourself what do you want to be able to do after rehab that you are unable to do now. Discuss it with the doctor to see how compatible your goals are with the treatment being offered. Any such treatment plan should include specific measurable objectives that are linked to a timeline. Then ask the doctor what diagnostic tests will be employed before, during, and after treatment to determine whether or not the treatment is helping you to reach your goal.

You will soon discover that a good doctor is willing to help you by providing you with the care and support you need. Let your informed feelings help you. The Doctor Finder Checklist will help you choose the best doctor for you. Should you desire further assistance finding the right doctor call Head Injury Hotline 206-621-8558

	Doctor Finder Checklist

	Background Information
1.	What type of license and certification does the doctor have?
2.	Is the doctor Board Certified, Board Eligible?	Yes No
3.	Does the doctor have special training in brain injury?	Yes No
4.	Is the doctor's license current, has it ever been suspended?	Yes No
5.	Is the doctor in good standing with professional organizations?	Yes No
6.	Is the doctor viewed favorably by the medical and rehabilitation professional community outside the program ?	Yes No
7.	Is the doctor affiliated with any area hospitals?	Yes No
8.	Does the doctor carry malpractice insurance?	Yes No

	TBI Expertise & diagnostic Tests
1.	How much experience do you have treating cases like mine?
2.	When was your practice founded, what is its guiding philosophy?
3.	Will you spend time with me and my and family to truly understand our needs?	Yes No
4.	What sources of funding /payment plan do you accept?	Yes No
5.	Are treatments custom-tailored to individual client's needs?	Yes No
6.	Which diagnostic tests will you employ in my case? Why?	Yes No
7.	What are they designed to reveal?	Yes No
8.	Will you review the results with me?	Yes No
9.	Are such tests painful or disorienting?	Yes No
10.	Will I need an escort following such tests?	Yes No
11.	Will you provide patient education materials, and written instructions?	Yes No
12.	Will the diagnostic evaluation include a thorough review of past medical/rehabilitative care and treatment?	Yes No
13.	Will you get previous medical, school records, other information that might be needed to evaluate my case?	Yes No
14.	Will the evaluation include objective, quantifiable goals for the treatment to be evaluated against?	Yes No
15.	Will the evaluation specify the length of time the treatment would take to accomplish the goals stated in the evaluation?	Yes No
16.	Will the evaluation include a detailed projection of program cost and outcome goals?	Yes No
17.	Is my condition the type that you commonly treat? With what results?	Yes No
18.	What type of program options and / or support services are available for my family? Will they need special training regarding my return home?	Yes No
19.	How will this treatment support me in my return to work.
20.	Will you arrange for me and my family to speak with former patients?	Yes No

	Treatment & Patient Care
1.	What is your approach to treatment?
2.	How do you view my role in treatment?
3.	What are my rights & responsibilities? Do you have a written policy? May I have a copy?
4.	Do you have a procedure for receiving and resolving patient and family complaints concerning the quality of care?	Yes No
5.	Are you willing to help me appreciate and manage my condition?	Yes No
6.	How should I prepare for our appointments?
7.	May I expect reminder calls prior to our appointments?	Yes No
8.	What type of treatments do you anticipate in my case?	Yes No
9.	What are the relative risks of such treatments?
10.	Will you provide all of my evaluation and treatments yourself?	Yes No
11.	What are the qualifications of other staff who provide such evaluation and treatments?
12.	If equipment, is used in procedures, are staff properly trained to use and care for the equipment?	Yes No
13.	How often is the procedure is performed? With what success?
14.	How long after treatment begins can I expect to notice improvement?
15.	What form will such improvements take?
16.	Are such improvements gradual or sudden?
17.	When will I feel like myself again?
18.	Are such improvements measurable?	Yes No
19.	What will you use to measure them?	Yes No
20.	Does such treatment involve pain or discomfort?	Yes No
21.	Are such treatments very time consuming? How so?	Yes No
22.	Can the treatments be performed at home?	Yes No
23.	Can treatments be self administered? Or do they require assistance? Are they difficult to learn?	Yes No
24.	What are the side effects of such treatments?	Yes No
25.	Should I discontinue treatment if side effects appear?	Yes No
26.	Are such side effects permanent or temporary?	Yes No
27.	What are the costs for treatment?	Yes No
28.	What is the length of treatment?	Yes No
29.	How will missed appointments be billed.
30.	Will I have access to my medical file upon request?
31.	Will you coordinate my care with other doctors?	Yes No
32.	Will I be given periodic progress reports, and detailed cost statements?	Yes No
33.	Will the treatment be adjusted to reflect progress and / or setbacks
34.	Will you develop a discharge plan to ensure appropriate community re-integration after I leave your care?	Yes No
35.	How do you choose the other programs, agencies or individuals to whom you refer patients?
36.	How will you preserve the confidentially of communication between us?
37.	Under what circumstances is specific patient information released?

	Sensibilities & General Impressions
1.	Demeanor, attitude, appearance of doctor and staff?
2.	Are the buildings and grounds suitable to the nature of the services provided to the patients served?	Yes No
3.	Office decor, lighting, atmosphere?
4.	Timely service, friendly, helpful staff	Yes No
5.	Did doctor & staff seem knowledgeable about your condition?	Yes No
6.	Does s/he have trial or personal injury claims resolution experience? With what success?	Yes No
7.	Willingness and /or qualifications to testify for you?	Yes No
8.	Did s/he seem to care about you as a person?	Yes No
9.	Were your questions answered to your satisfaction?	Yes No
10.	Were answers provided in terms that you understood?	Yes No
11.	Were billing cycles or payment plans discussed with you?	Yes No

Head Injury Hotline: Providing Difficult to Find Information About Head Injury Since 1985

brain@headinjury.com