Cardiology is the specialty of medicine which deals with the diseases of the heart as well as the diseases of the circulatory and the vascular system. This branch deals with medical diagnosis and treatment of cardiac conditions such as congenital heart problems, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and electrophysiology of the heart.
When a patient experiences some kind of heart problems, it should be the first goal to choose a cardiac doctor who is experienced with the specific condition that they are suffering from. The patient should also consider communication skills while selecting a doctor. The starting step towards improving the overall health and building a good doctor-patient relationship is to make an informed decision regarding the suitable doctor.
7 Steps to find the right cardiologist are:
Consider your family care provider’s recommendation
Depending on where the patient lives, there may be several cardiologists in the vicinity. In a non-emergency situation, the family doctor is the best person who knows the patient well. Therefore, he/she should be the best person to ask about whom to consult. The local doctor must have contact with many cardiologists and will help you in deciding by providing a good recommendation.
Look for the cardiologist’s credentials
Looking for a cardiologist whose credentials are verified and is a board-certified doctor is a good step to start with. A cardiologist who is board-certified in cardiovascular diseases has to undergo rigorous medical and physical examinations and therefore has good knowledge. The top doctors usually have FACC (Fellow of the American College of Cardiology). Any cardiologist who is a fellow with a committee has sound knowledge and is an active participant in the activities of the society. Using the internet is a powerful aid in researching information about doctors. Different websites can be used to check for doctor’s specialties, the hospital’s affiliations, the hospital’s complication, and mortality outcomes, and more.
Try picking a local doctor for the heart condition, if feasible
Traveling long distances can be cumbersome for many people. More commonly, the local cardiologists available do a great job of taking care of common heart problems like coronary disease, and hypertension. When a patient has a problem that might need a super-specialist, the local cardiologist recognizes and refers the patient to a more distant hospital if needed. There are some hospitals in the top medical tourism destination such as India that doesn’t guarantee a successful treatment or a good quality surgeon.
Discuss your problems and needs with the cardiologist
Before the first appointment, it is important to prepare yourself to speak with the doctor. Telling the staff that you’ll need extra time to speak with the doctor, is recommended. Be aware of the doctor’s practice, their consultation timings, or when the doctor is not available, and how busy is their practice. Being able to comfortably talk to the cardiologist and having clear communication provides both the parties with confidence. Patients usually end up not discussing their actual problems with their cardiologist. Upon being asked questions such as – Why are you here? How is your chest feeling, is there any discomfort? the patient should be honest and confide in their cardiologist for a transparent understanding.
Choose the right cardiologist as per your needs
Taking recommendations from friends or family is a good start. But to further finalize the doctor, one needs to understand their problems and need. A cardiologist may have expertise in different procedures and it’s better to choose one that specializes in the treatment of disease you have. There is no “family cardiologist” because every patient presents with a different heart issue, and therefore their cardiologist also needs to be different. Choosing the right specialist with a success record and experience is important.
Check for online reviews of cardiologists
Online reviews of doctors from previous patients can be very helpful. Choosing a cardiologist simply because of good reviews can also be flawed. Sometimes very experienced and expert cardiologists with good knowledge may get lesser reviews. Because of heavy waiting time or due to lack of their availability. The best cardiologist in India usually has an average waiting time of around 20 minutes for patients. Therefore, a thorough review needs to be done before finalizing.
Keep in mind to check for conflicts of interest
Pharmaceutical makers, medical device experts, or other health care specialists required to report any money or gift given to physicians. This data is available to the public via online portals. To understand the discipline of a doctor you’re browsing, these informative points can come in handy. Thoroughly researching your doctor beforehand will give the patient the confidence of knowing that they’ve made the right decision. This helps in a better doctor-patient understanding leading to a better experience. Published By Healthzigzag.com
Read Also: 6 Best Ways To Lower Your Heart Rate
