It’s wise to do your homework before choosing a new healthcare provider, be it an eye doctor, dentist, or surgical specialist. Some doctors are more skilled than others, and some have a history of complaints or a history of medical malpractice suits filed against them. The healthcare system can be overwhelming, so this article will give you some tips on researching your next physician.
Resources for Researching a Doctor’s History
DocInfo is a good place to start. This easy-to-use database allows you to search for doctors nationwide by name and view their profiles. Their profiles contain useful information, such as where the physician holds their medical license. When and where they graduated from medical school. If they had a history of medical malpractice, it would show any actions were taken against them by the state medical boards. The database information is updated monthly. So if a doctor had been disciplined within the past 30 days, it would not show up here. DocInfo also provides a resource page on how to file a complaint against a doctor.
The New York State Department of Health’s website offers a tool to search for a board action regarding a physician or physician’s assistant. This page on their website shows every New York physician disciplined by the board and either had their license suspended or revoked. Clicking on the physician’s last name shows more details about the nature of the misconduct. When the misconduct took place. And the address of the physician’s practice.
Additionally, if you decide which hospital you prefer to receive treatment, the New York State Department of Health makes it easy to compare different hospital profiles in your area. To find information about citations and complaints, click on the Inspections tab of the profile. This will show how many complaints were received at that hospital per 10,000 patient days and compare it to the state average. It will also describe any citations the hospital received during state inspections.
Contact a New York medical malpractice lawyer
The New York medical malpractice attorneys of Hach & Rose, LLP are ready to help you if you’ve been the victim of medical negligence by a doctor, surgeon, nurse, pharmacist, or another healthcare professional. Call a knowledgeable team member at (212) 779-0057 or chat with us online to schedule your free consultation today.