Damage to the musculoskeletal system can be really painful. Whether you meet with an accident or your body starts showing signs of aging, you need a skilled and trusted orthopedic specialist to tackle your health complications and recommend the right procedures.
Finding orthopedic doctors in your city is not difficult. For instance, if you live in Gurgaon, a simple Google search with give you a list of ortho doctors in Gurgaon. However, it is important to choose a healthcare professional that is best suited for your condition. Finding the right ortho specialist helps you recover faster and lead a healthier life.
Here are a few important things to keep in mind as you choose an orthopedic specialist:
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Trust Referrals
Referrals have stayed relevant for decades and often prove to be useful in the healthcare sector. It is always advisable to ask for referrals when choosing an orthopedic doctor. If your family doctor is not an ortho surgeon, you can ask them for suitable referrals for your condition. They know what is best for you and will suggest the best options.
You can also seek referrals from friends and family members. If any of your acquaintances have gotten diagnosed or treated by an ortho doctor and is happy with the same, you can trust their referrals and approach the concerned doctor. Referrals make it easy to trust the doctors you visit.
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Go Through The Credentials
If you have enough time to choose the best orthopedic specialist, make sure you go through their credentials before choosing the best option. Visit the website of every hospital and look up the doctor on social media for their credentials.
Make sure you approach an orthopedic doctor with board certification. This helps you confirm that the doctor has received adequate training and is experienced enough to provide the right orthopedic care to you. As you check the doctor’s credentials, make sure to confirm that there is no history of malpractice or disciplinary actions against them. Conduct thorough background research before approaching any doctor.
You can also go through their education history and have a look at the degrees they possess before you finalize visiting them.
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Opt For Experienced Doctors
Even if you are visiting a new hospital, make sure the doctors therein are experienced. Experienced orthopedic surgeons are more likely to have tackled cases similar to yours, giving them an edge over others. Approaching experienced doctors allows you to trust their abilities and ensure that you will receive holistic care.
Most orthopedic doctors and hospitals share the number of patients treated on their official websites. If you have multiple options to choose from, go for the most experienced orthopedic specialist.
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Are You Comfortable With Their Gender?
It is very important for a patient to be comfortable with their orthopedic doctor as they examine them. Patients tend to hide certain details about their health conditions due to discomfort. This may lead to inadequate diagnosis and treatment.
Make sure you are aware of the doctor’s gender and are comfortable with the same. If you are not comfortable getting diagnosed by a doctor of the opposite gender, look for an ortho specialist of the same gender. This will allow you to be more open and comfortable sharing precise details about your health complications.
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Check The Hospital’s Quality
Hygiene and quality of services offered by a hospital play an important role in a patient’s treatment. As you look for an ideal orthopedic specialist, make sure you consider the hospital’s quality before visiting. For example, if you are looking for the best orthopedic hospital in Gurgaon, confirm that the facility provides quality services to its patients.
Never compromise on the hospital’s quality while seeking orthopedic care. The environment in which a patient is treated affects their treatment and recovery. Hospitals that pay more attention to hygiene and the quality of their services will always have better success rates.
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Focus On The Communication Style
Patients often take their doctors’ way of communication for granted. Just like being comfortable with a doctor’s gender, it is important to be comfortable with the manner in which your doctor communicates.
From initial assessment to ongoing communication while you get treated, make sure you choose an orthopedic specialist who is good at communication. Go through the testimonials on the doctor’s website and see what their prior patients have to say about them. Once you visit them for an initial consultation, see how they communicate with you. Do they welcome you and seem genuinely concerned for your health, or are they cold and mechanical?
Along with the orthopedic specialist, pay close attention to the way the staff at the hospital communicates. Effective communication should always be an important deciding factor to continue receiving orthopedic care from a doctor. Make sure you choose a doctor who is highly approachable and dedicated to treating your health issue.
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Give Importance To Rehabilitation
A lot of credit for a patient’s speedy recovery goes to effective rehabilitation. A patient’s journey toward complete recovery does not end with surgery. The kind of rehabilitation offered by an orthopedic specialist plays an important role in regaining normalcy.
Before you approach an orthopedic surgeon, make sure they provide extensive post-surgical rehabilitation. Not all doctors give importance to rehabilitation and leave most of it to their patients. Whether a doctor offers dedicated rehab facilities at the hospital or recommends personalized procedures for you, always give preference to ortho doctors that include rehabilitation in their services.
The Final Word
These were some of the most important things you should consider before choosing an orthopedic specialist. If you have enough time, do not rush the selection process and make the right assessments before you approach a doctor. Always remember that you will be trusting a doctor with your life when you seek treatment from them. Make sure you seek ortho care from a doctor who is experienced, trained, and genuinely concerned about your health.
