The Ultimate Checklist for Choosing Chronic Illness Specialists
A major component of managing chronic illnesses is the involvement of healthcare providers. Healthcare providers, especially the specialists who care for patients with certain chronic illnesses, play an essential role in improving their patient’s health. However, some chronic illness patients may go through several specialists before finding the right one.
Certain factors, like wait times, the ability to schedule appointments, and the quality of care, account for whether someone has a positive or dreadful patient experience with their chronic illness specialists.
With this in mind, chronic illness patients must research their specialists to increase their chances of having an enjoyable patient experience.
Below is a checklist you can use to find a chronic illness specialist that fits your health needs.
Doctor’s Qualifications and Experience
A great starting point for finding a chronic illness specialist is to review their education, work experience, and certifications. It’s recommended that you aim for chronic illness providers who are board-certified. Board-certified chronic illness specialists have completed additional training in their specialty area, making them more qualified to practice within that specialty than non-certified doctors.
You can often find information about a chronic illness practitioner’s medical background and training by visiting their practice’s page.
Location
Depending on where you live, location can be a significant factor when selecting a chronic disease specialist. If transportation is a challenge, it’s essential to consider the time and costs of traveling to and from your doctor’s appointments. For example, if you live in a rural city, finding a chronic illness physician near you may be difficult, so you may want to expand your search to specialists within 20-30 miles of your home.
In addition, other location-based factors you may want to consider when choosing a chronic illness specialist include the pricing and availability of parking and whether there’s a bus or train route to the practice.
Patient Reviews
One of the best ways to determine if a chronic illness specialist is right for you is to look at their reviews. Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades are a few resources that allow patients to share public reviews of their experience with a particular physician or practice.
It’s important to note that all reviews shouldn’t be taken wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, doctors can have bad days that reflect poorly on the patient-provider relationship. And in some cases, those negative experiences can change a patient’s perspective of their chronic illness specialist.
However, if you see a pattern of specific complaints within the patient reviews, this may be a cause for concern, which might put the chronic illness physician on your “no-go” list.
Doctor is Within Your Health Insurance’s Network
If you have health insurance, you must double-check that the chronic illness specialist is within your network. In-network healthcare providers are contracted with your health insurance plan provider, which means they offer discounted rates for medical services to patients. Therefore, unless you’re okay with paying high out-of-pocket costs, it’s best to research whether the chronic illness specialist is within your health insurance’s network before scheduling an appointment.
Type of Practice
Do you prefer a chronic illness specialist who works in an individual or group practice? Some patients favor working with healthcare providers that have their private practice. On the contrary, other patients don’t mind a group practice with multiple chronic illness specialists under one roof.
Accessibility
Another major factor when selecting a chronic illness healthcare provider is accessibility. Many patients with chronic illness have sensory, mental, intellectual, or physical disabilities that require specific accommodations when visiting the doctor’s office. In addition, some patients are not native English speakers, so they may need a translator during their appointments.
In this regard, some accessibility questions that you want to think about when choosing a provider for your chronic illness may include the following:
Do they offer ramps, automatic doors, or elevators to their offices?
Will there be translators available during my appointment?
Do they provide equipment or specially-designed exam rooms for patients with sensory challenges?
Does their website offer accessibility tools visitors can use?
Are auxiliary aids and services available for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing in the doctor’s office?
Type of Patient Portals and EHRs Systems
Lastly, you may want to consider what patient portals and electronic health records (EHRs) systems the chronic illness specialist uses to communicate with patients. For example, some patient portals allow patients to find their lab results, ask questions, and request prescription refills. Sometimes, they will provide patient portal information on their website, but you may have to call the office for more details.
Managing a chronic illness can sometimes require using multiple patient portals and EHRs systems, which can be a hassle for patients and caregivers. With Chronius Health, you can integrate all of your health data, including upcoming appointments, medications, and more, from your patient portals and EHRs into one place.
Ultimately, your comfort levels and quality of care are essential when visiting the doctor’s office, so there’s nothing wrong with requesting a chronic illness specialist that meets your checklist requirements.
How Chronius Can Help
If living with chronic illness feels like a full time job, you aren’t alone.
That’s why at Chronius, we make it easy to navigate the healthcare system as a patient. Our online care management platform brings together all of your health records and offers a 1-click appointment prep tool that easily synthesizes your health story for your care team. You also can track all of your symptoms, identify trends, learn from vetted medical information, and follow a custom patient journey map. Plus, if you needs hands on support, our Care Advocates are available to help you with any issues you may hit up against. Personalized support as you navigate your care journey is what we are all about.
Interested in learning more and signing up for our waitlist? Claim your spot today.
