Have you ever wondered how certain doctors end up on a “top doc” list? We did a bit of research and found some interesting and disturbing background info. First it is obvious that the surveys conducted by various organizations are not scientific and have little statistical credibility. Basically, doctors in a locale nominate other doctors they hold in high regard. Of course there could be many, many other reasons for nominating someone. Then–after those votes are counted– an individual’s education, volunteer efforts, specific awards and other factors are evaluated. Files are then observed to determine patient outcomes. This is a particularly difficult process for many reasons. First HIPAA restricts dissemination of info. Second, it is almost impossible to measure differing outcomes between doctors when patients present all kinds of health status variants–like age, chronic history, hereditary illnesses, etc. And finally a cursory review of co-workers, supervisors and others is conducted. Notice that nowhere in the process is a patient survey included. So let’s ask ourselves: how do we judge the value of a doctor without hearing from his/her patients? In our own family we have tried to refer care to Top docs and found several to be severely lacking. One 30 year experienced specialist gave up on treating a family member–only to have another doctor resolve the issue. Another top doc–failing to cure a problem–blamed the condition on the mental state of the patient when all the physical evidence refuted his diagnosis. So the next time you see a Top Doc list, ask yourself “Is this real?” Better to check with friends who have worked with this doc in the past and form your own conclusion. Remember the American Medical Association will NEVER out a bad doc but we all know there are many in that category. Somebody had to graduate last in their class. Is that the top doc you’re visiting next week? NEXT TIME; HOW MALPRACTICE SHOULD BE HANDLED.
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