Challenges of finding new doctor

DEAR DOCTOR K: I’ve recently moved and would like to find a doctor for my kids and myself. I don’t know many people here yet, so I’ve hesitated to ask for personal recommendations. What do you think about physician-rating websites?

DEAR READER: There are a lot of doctor rating sites out there, like Healthgrades.com or RateMDs.com. Even websites that offer reviews of restaurants and repairmen (such as Yelp and Angie’s List) feature critiques of doctors, dentists and other clinicians.

Many of these sites have users give doctors a “star rating,” as you would rate a movie on Netflix. But according to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, narrative reviews, in which patients describe their experiences with clinicians in their own words, can add valuable context. They can allow readers to zero in on reviews from people with similar problems, needs and preferences. And if you understand why someone gave a clinician a certain score, you can weigh that information against what’s most important to you.

But even doctor-rating websites that provide space for personal comments could, in my opinion, be improved. Many of these websites don’t present data on other important considerations. For example, does the doctor offer timely appointments? Does he or she follow authoritative guidelines for preventing and treating diseases?

In addition, there’s no assurance the reviews come from real patients.

Also in my opinion, there are a few doctors who have a great “bedside manner” but don’t practice the best medicine. They order too many, or too few, diagnostic tests. They use the newest treatments when older treatments would be effective.

So what’s the bottom line? Websites might provide useful information. But don’t use them as your only source. If you can, ask friends or family members. If you’re new to an area, join a neighborhood email group and ask for a recommendation. Or call the local chapter of a condition-specific association and ask them for suggestions.