Women’s Preventive Healthcare: Finding Your Ideal Doctor

Preventive healthcare is responsible for the early screenings, counseling, and education that increase life expectancy in women. Doctors who specialize in wellness-based care are not as easy to find as you might expect. Here is a simple method for locating and evaluating them, which may be the path to your ideal doctor.

Your Wellness Profile

Looking for a new doctor is the perfect incentive for redefining your health priorities. A wellness profile is a snapshot of your health values and needs. It is also a vehicle for discovering the terms you will use for your internet research. In section one of your profile, familiarize yourself with the range of preventive servicesgenerally accessible to women and identify which ones would most benefit you. For instance, if breast cancer runs in your family, prioritize cancer screenings and genetic testing. For section two, note your preferences regarding the doctor’s gender, experience, specializations and hospital affiliations.

The Preliminary Provider List

Your town’s location and population may affect the pool of wellness providers available to you. An urban doctor Houston TX or New York City would offer may have access to more extensive preventive resources than a rural practice would. Find out the availability in your area by doing a preliminary internet search using your location and general terms such as doctor, prevention, screening, and women’s wellness.

The Refined List

It’s time to consolidate your list by eliminating all but two or three candidates.

• Read the independent patient reviews for each provider and eliminate questionable candidates.
• Browse the websites of the remaining prospects, noting their care philosophies, services, and insurance options.
• Compare your profile with the doctors’ services.
• Schedule brief phone conferences with the top candidates and interview them using your wellness profile.

If preventive care providers are scarce in your area, identify the providers who generally stand out, and follow the steps above. Provide the doctors you interview with a summary of your wellness profile.

As you embark on your search for a new doctor, following these steps may be helpful. As wellness-based women’s healthcare expands, so should your opportunities to receive the preventive care that could save your life.