How to choose the best urologist – 9 tips
When it comes to choosing a doctor, special care needs to be taken. Regardless of the specialty, a doctor needs to be thoroughly analyzed before leaving your health in his hands. The same principles apply to urology.
Urologic health impacts your overall quality of life. Moreover, urologic diseases can be life-threatening, such as prostate cancer, kidney cancer, or bladder cancer. That is why choosing the top urologist to treat your case is essential.
A urologist will offer guidance regarding your urinary tract health or recommend treatment for various urinary tract conditions.
How can you choose the best urologist for you?
Here are 9 important factors every man needs to take into account when considering seeing a urologist:
1 Search for recommendations and referrals of the urologist
A good urologist will receive recommendations from both specialists and patients.
Ask for referrals. The first to start with is your primary health care physician. He can provide you with a list of awarded urologists in your area. Also, you can ask your family and friends for recommendations. You never know what experiences they might have had.
After receiving the recommendations, take time to analyze the credentials of those urologists. Perform searches on the internet but research more sources in order to have a clear and objective perspective over the matter.
2 Research urologist’s credentials
When researching for a good urologist, board certifications are one of the most important things to consider. Usually, urologists need to go through various medical pieces of training and courses. Board certifications tell you whether the urologist has the needed skills and experience to provide the best urological health care for your condition. It is extremely important to make sure the urologist has the required expertise and professional knowledge to offer urological treatment.
It is very important to research for urologist’s medical school, training courses, and specializations. All these pieces of information are present on official websites across the web.
For instance, if you would like to know more about Dr. David Samadi’s board certifications, you can go to the Education page or on the Yelp review webiste.
3 What are the urologist’s specializations?
Specializations are very important when choosing a top urologist. Urology is a broad domain and urologists can specialize in many subdomains, such as male-specific issues or female-specific. If you have prostate issues, then you will need to contact a urologist specialized in male-specific problems. On the other side, if a woman experiences stress continence, she will search for a urologist specialized in female-specific issues.
If you would like to know more about Dr. Samadi’s specializations, access his biography here!
4 Research the experience and practice of the urologist
Experience is as important as training and education. A doctor who is well-trained, but has not put into practice his medical knowledge might not be a good option for you. As in every life domain, experience is the basis of success.
It is crystal clear that the greater is the urologist’s expertise in a domain, the higher the chances to succeed in the provided healthcare.
Risks are being avoided if you manage to choose an experienced urologist.
But what should you look at when it comes to experience?
- Take into account the cumulated number of years the doctor has been actively practicing
- Review the medical centers and hospitals the urologist was affiliated with. These institutions do not have to be prestigious, but they need to have a good reputation.
- Take into account the roles the doctor has received in the urological department of the medical institutions. Has he served as the Chief of the Urology Department? Is he the Head of the Men’s Health Department? Has he ever received the role of Director in the institution? These roles and titles can give a clue of the experience and qualifications of the reviewed urologist.
Did you know that Dr. Samadi has over 25 years of experience in urology and has performed over 7000 successful robotic prostatectomies?
He is currently the Director of Men’s Health at St. Francis Hospital, Roslyn, New York. He used to be a Urologic Oncology Expert and Robotic Surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital.
5 Research the facilities offered by the urologist
Yes, facilities are very important. The facilities offered by the hospital the doctor is affiliated with are the facilities you will be offered with. So make sure the conditions and comfort meet your expectations.
The performance of the hospital can influence the recovery period and the possible risk of infections. Also, top-ranking hospitals provide a higher quality general health care and treatment.
Do not overlook the position of the hospital. Do you need to drive for hours to get there? Will it be complicated to get home after a surgery or intervention?
In case you need to go several times for scans or tests, the location should encourage timely care.
Take into account all these factors when choosing a urologist.
6 What is the gender of the urologist?
When looking for a urologist, consider gender. When you are at ease with the identity of your urologist, you will feel free to talk about personal matters. Urological issues are not easy to talk about, as they involve urinary and sexual functions.
That is why make sure the gender of your urologist does not make you refrain from free communication.
Usually, urologists are specialized in both male and female problems. That is why, if you are not influenced by the gender of the doctor, ask about his specialization in your personal condition. He will take into account your gender and age and will be able to recommend the following course of action.
7 What is the urologist’s communication style?
Communication is key to receiving the treatment you should be getting. The urologist must be a person you can freely communicate with. Also, he must show respect for your opinions and need for knowledge.
You need to feel confident asking about every curiosity you have. The urologist should listen to your needs carefully, without judging your thoughts or fears.
Compassion and patience should be the first two qualities to look for in a urologist. Many doctors are so bored by their profession that they only look at numbers, not at people. You are not just a number on a register, you are a human being that needs compassion and understanding. And this can not be done in just 10 minutes spent in an office.
But how can you know if the urologist is easy to communicate with and is compassionate?
His pictures and board certifications might not reveal that. But there is one thing that can help you: patients’ recommendations and testimonials!
8 Why consider patient testimonials when choosing a urologist?
Testimonials provide you with a subjective perspective over the professionalism of the urologist. Each and every doctor will also have negative and positive reviews, because of the subjectivism we mentioned before. But it is important to look at the tone of the majority of them.
If there is a large majority that has positive experiences and outcomes, then there are great chances the urologist is doing a great job. People usually review the way the doctor behaved, the way he listened, and how compassionate he was. Also, people talk about his experience and the post-operatory healthcare, if that was the case.
So, if you want to know the person behind the medical title, read or watch as many reviews as possible. Patient reviews often talk about the scheduling experience, waiting for time, professionalism, facilities, and office friendliness. Patients reveal how well the doctors answer the questions and how much time he spends with the patients.
Our advice is to read not only testimonials posted on doctor’s personal websites but also o neutral websites, such as review hubs.
9 Check what your insurance is covering
If you want to pay the least possible for your urological care, then check what your insurance is covering. To receive the most benefits from your insurance, you may want to choose a urologist that is included in your plan.
Not all urologists offer services that are covered by insurance. That is why it is better to ask in advance or to choose from those listed in your plan.
However, if your healthcare problem is an urgent matter or if there are signs of a malign disease, it is more important to choose an experienced urologist, than someone included in your insurance plan.
Depending on your situation, take into account your insurance plan when you choose a urologist.
The decision you make regarding your health care provider can influence your recovery period or even your survival rates, depending on the case.
Take into account all the above-mentioned factors and choose an experienced, trained, qualified and compassionate urologist!