In Chapter 2 of Five Steps To Selecting The Best Alternative Medicine you
can discover what these questions are as well as specific details on how to
use "The Seven Key Sources For Getting Good Referrals" to your best
advantage.
With a list of good referrals, you can feel confident that you have tipped
the scales in your favor and you are now just a few steps away from finding
a health care provider who you'll want to work with.
Step Three: Screening the Candidate
Make use of an alternative practitioner's staff to get reliable information about the provider and how they work.
The alternative health care provider's office staff is an invaluable
information source to you. Without spending a penny in fees, you can get a
more in-depth picture about a provider's personality, his or her expertise,
his or her educational training, and which associations or professional
organizations he or she belongs to. From this information, as well as
additional information you will garner from asking some very specific,
well-targeted questions, you will gain greater certainty as to whether this
candidate could be your health care provider.
In order to do that, you need to know what those questions are as well some
other important information that can assist you in getting the answers you
need to make an informed and educated health care decision about the
practitioner.
Here are some examples:
Can you provide me with literature about the health care provider's
educational background and philosophy of treatment?
What success has this alternative doctor had in treating patients with
physical problems similar to mine?
How long has this practioner/doctor been in practice?
What is the practitioner's fee structure and your policy with insurance?
How much can I expect to pay on my first visit, including tests,
supplements, and prescriptions?
By using the information and the questions outlined in Chapter 3 of Five
Steps To Selecting The Best Alternative Medicine, you can narrow your list
of practitioner candidates to a select few whom you would like to meet
personally. By doing this, you are only one step away from the alternative
health care practitioner with whom you will want to develop a health care
partnership.
Step Four: Interviewing the Provider
Ask the provider all the pertinent questions to know
if you can confidently work with this professional.
To successfully interview a health care provider, you must ask the right
questions and use your own gut instincts to get a feel of who this person
is and if they are right for you. A well conducted interview will provide
you with the valuable data to determine if this is the health care
professional you will want to work with.
In order to do, it is best to first ask yourself, "What kind of personality
do I need in a health care provider?"
Superbly trained health care providers come in a wide range of
personalties. Some have nurturing bedside manners and are compassionate and
sensitive with their patient/clients. Some are cold rationalist who don't
really care about the thoughts and feelings of their patients. Others are
somewhere in the middle.
You need to determine which type of personality is best for you and your
current health care needs. Knowing this will assist you during your
interview process in determining if a particular health care provider is
right for you.