HEALTH & FITNESS

finding a physician

FINDING DR. RIGHT from page A23

• How many patients are booked
per hour?
• How easy is it to reach the doc-
tor? Does the doctor use e-mail?
• Is the office staff rude and grumpy
or pleasant and efficient?

Personal Take

A friend of Jennifer Ribiat of West
Bloomfield recommended the pediatri-
cian she uses. "When I was looking for
a pediatrician, I wanted someone who
was available evenings and over the
weekend," says Ribiat,
who has two children,
ages 2 and 6.
"There is always a
nurse available so I can
ask questions about
my children's health
even at odd hours. It's
Jennifer
also important that
Ribiat
my children and I feel
comfortable with the doctor."
In addition to outstanding creden-
tials, it is important to find a doctor
you can trust and with whom you
communicate well to establish a long-
term relationship.
"I like to make sure my doctor is
located conveniently," says Rhona
Fidler of West Bloomfield. "It is very

On-Line
jewels
And junk

Ruthan Brodsky

Special to the Jewish News

M

ost of us search the In-
ternet for medical and
health information, but
we are then bom-
barded with more than we would
want or can use. The resources may
be scientific or pseudoscientific
articles, personal triumph stories or
tragedies and references to books
and online support groups.
In fact, it is often this huge over-
load that makes finding medical
and health information confusing.
How can we distinguish between the
truths, half-truths and hype?
The quantity of health informa-
tion available on line continues
to increase. Hundreds of universi-
ties, hospitals, medical groups and
government research organizations
have health-related sites on the

A24

J an ary 29 2009

frustrating for me when
I want to see my doc-
tor and the doctor's
not available. Going to
urgent care at a hospi-
tal is something I want
to avoid."
Doctors are people
and each has their
strengths and weaknesses. Other
questions to ask yourself:
• Do you like this doctor's bedside
manner?
• Are you confident in the doctor's
abilities?
• Do you understand his instruc-
tions?
• Are you encouraged to ask ques-
tions?
• Is the overall experience at your
doctor's office positive?
A local veterinarian has the same
perspective.
"I work hard at having the animals
feel comfortable with me when I care
for them and I want to feel comfort-
able when I'm around my physician,"
says John Simon, a doctor of veteri-
nary medicine in Royal Oak.
"The speed with which medical
knowledge is advancing can make it
difficult, even for specialists, to keep

up with innovations; but it's important
that my doctor is making the attempt. I
want my doctors to be continuing their
education and to be current in their
specialty. If there are new techniques
or new research about a drug, I want
my physician to know about that."
It makes sense that you and your doc-
tor need to be able to talk to each other.
Jon Stone of Birmingham recently
graduated from law school. "To be hon-
est, I haven't had time to think about
selecting a new doctor," says Stone, a
response typical of the 30-and-younger
crowd. "When I need a doctor, I'll call
the same one my family uses."

Internet. They provide information
that patients usually don't receive
from their doctors such as access to
articles in medical journals.
Paul Ehrmann, a doctor of osteop-
athy in Royal Oak and president of
the Oakland County
Osteopathic Associa-
tion, does his medical
searching on govern-
ment sites, such as
the National Institutes
of Health and at sites
of major professional Paul
Ehrmann
associations.
"I am more com-
fortable getting information from
reputable and well-known groups
such as the American Heart Associa-
tion," says Erhmann.

opinions, personal experience and
even medical opinions are passing
for medical fact? It's not unusual, for
instance, that a recommendation for
a treatment may be based on the
opinion of individual doctors and
published on their blogs as opposed
to information from a clinical trial.
"Anyone can publish on the
Internet," explains John Simon, a vet-
erinarian in Royal Oak and author
of the Web site www.doc4pets.com .
"Even if you are getting information
from a well-known person, you still
need to be vigilant and cautious. I
usually visit well-known hospitals
or professional associations as my
resources for searches."
There are even a handful of
services that will weed through all
the information you find and test
the veracity and resource. I'm not
convinced about their inclusiveness
and accuracy.
On the other hand, the companies
say they are probably more current on
the latest remedies because it's their
job to stay current compared to doc-
tors who have to care for sick people.
Some of these services charge a
fee for gathering the information,
ranging from $15 to $500. Many

Online Access

There are now hundreds of chat
groups and forums, bulletin boards
and special-interest groups that
focus on specific health topics. So-
cial networks such as Facebook and
Twitter also have specific groups
for topics like breast cancer, sleep
apnea or steroid use.
When participating in these
groups, how do we know when

More Perspectives

Keith Levick, Ph.D., a psychologist in
Farmington Hills, wants "my doctor to
ask me open-ended questions and then
listen to my answers
with respect. I want to
feel he is empathetically
connected with me and
will validate my feelings.
"Then I want him to
talk to me in a language
Keith
I understand and not
Levick
use medical babble. As
a coach and trainer, I know these are
important skills for physicians and most

other people in a service business."
When an illness is chronic and regular
office visits are scheduled, the rapport
between patient and physician must be
based on trust.
"A hospital referral
service is a good source
for finding a doctor if
you have a specific and
chronic disease," says
Dr. Larry J. Silverman,
a rheumatologist in
Dr. Larry J.
Southfield and a mem-
Silverman
ber of the board of the
Lupus Alliance of Michigan.
"Hospitals usually have certain
requirements, such as being board
certified in a specialty or sub-special-
ty, which assures well-qualified physi-
cians. Professional organizations also
have referral lists.
"The Michigan Arthritis Foundation,
for example, maintains a list of doctors
whose specialties are arthritis and/or
lupus and they are taking new patients."

Slow Down?

Going through the process of choos-
ing a doctor can take several weeks.
However, when first diagnosed with

FINDING DR. RIGHT on page A26

customers are satisfied. Others, like
me, are skeptical. It is interesting to
note that no matter how authoritative
a source of on-line medical infor-
mation is, all these services have a
disclaimer that the information is
not a substitute for advice people
get from their own doctors.

Be Aware

There is no doubt, however, that
knowledge is power. On-line medi-
cal information appears to be spear-
heading a change in the relationship
between doctor and patients. Many
of us now enter our doctor's office
with copies of articles off a Web
site that describe our symptoms,
a possible diagnosis and even our
medications.
It's been said that Google is the
de facto second opinion.
Most doctors handle the well-in-
formed patient with ease. In fact,
they find this a plus because patients
engaged in their own health are more
likely to partner with them for a better
lifestyle and improved health.
"Regardless of how much informa-
tion patients find on the Internet,

ON-LINE on page A26

