- Anatomy of The Spine
- Back Pain in Children
- Caring for your Spine
- Emerging Spinecare Trends
- Evaluation of Spinal Disorders
- Exercise and The Spine
- Intervention - Spinal Disorders
- Intervertebral Disc
- Non Surgical Options
- Nutrition and Spinecare
- Options for Spine Treatments
- Pregnancy and Back Pain
- Prevalence of Spine Disorders
- Sleep and the Spine
- Spinecare Introduction
- Spinehealth and Disease
- Surgical Interventions
- Treatment with Medications
- Understanding Back Pain
Spinecare Topics
Spinecare Introduction
Evaluating Your Doctor
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Evaluating Your Doctor
4. What medical and professional societies do you belong to?
This question will give you an indication of the physician’s level of interest in various areas as well as serve as an indicator of their willingness to learn from others. The type of societies they belong to will also give you an indication of his/her treatment focus. There are general and medical professional societies for each specialty discipline. Membership in specialized academies and general societies as well as associations usually indicates that the healthcare professional is committed to participation and pursuing continuing education.
5. How long you have practiced in this region?
A physician, who has practiced many years in your community, will likely have strong relationship with other specialists and sub‑specialists in your community. A physician who is well established in your community, is more likely to have a better understanding of all the resources that are available at local hospitals as well as in other medical facilities.
6. Do you have any specialized training in evaluating or treating back pain or related problems?
It is wise to have an understanding of the sub-specialization that your spine specialist may have. Sub-specialization is less common in smaller communities and is more often found at university of medical centers and schools.
7. Are you comfortable working with physicians of various disciplines?
It is critically important to determine whether your attending physician or potential attending physician has any bias towards any specific discipline in the healthcare field, especially those who may have something to offer for your back condition. Their response to this question will also provide an indication of how open and experienced your physician is. It is a particularly important question for physicians, who have generally limited their practice to surgery. An educational bias based on the training or residency experience of the physician may result in the doctor being unaware of all reasonable therapeutic options.
8. What percentage of patients do you see with my type of problem?
This is a very important question. You could direct this question to the office staff as well as the attending physician. If your physician has a specialty in the spine field, ask whether they have particular level of experience with your type of spinal condition. If they do not then you may have to be referred to a sub-specialist, who has extensive experience with your type of condition, particularly if it is a rare or serious disorder. Ask if your doctor for his biography or curriculum vitae.
This question will give you an indication of the physician’s level of interest in various areas as well as serve as an indicator of their willingness to learn from others. The type of societies they belong to will also give you an indication of his/her treatment focus. There are general and medical professional societies for each specialty discipline. Membership in specialized academies and general societies as well as associations usually indicates that the healthcare professional is committed to participation and pursuing continuing education.
5. How long you have practiced in this region?
A physician, who has practiced many years in your community, will likely have strong relationship with other specialists and sub‑specialists in your community. A physician who is well established in your community, is more likely to have a better understanding of all the resources that are available at local hospitals as well as in other medical facilities.
6. Do you have any specialized training in evaluating or treating back pain or related problems?
It is wise to have an understanding of the sub-specialization that your spine specialist may have. Sub-specialization is less common in smaller communities and is more often found at university of medical centers and schools.
7. Are you comfortable working with physicians of various disciplines?
It is critically important to determine whether your attending physician or potential attending physician has any bias towards any specific discipline in the healthcare field, especially those who may have something to offer for your back condition. Their response to this question will also provide an indication of how open and experienced your physician is. It is a particularly important question for physicians, who have generally limited their practice to surgery. An educational bias based on the training or residency experience of the physician may result in the doctor being unaware of all reasonable therapeutic options.
8. What percentage of patients do you see with my type of problem?
This is a very important question. You could direct this question to the office staff as well as the attending physician. If your physician has a specialty in the spine field, ask whether they have particular level of experience with your type of spinal condition. If they do not then you may have to be referred to a sub-specialist, who has extensive experience with your type of condition, particularly if it is a rare or serious disorder. Ask if your doctor for his biography or curriculum vitae.
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