The post-diagnosis phase can be a difficult and stressful one to navigate. There are so many questions and concerns you may have about the best cancer treatment options as well as who to trust with sensitive information and your treatments moving forward.
Here are some tried-and-true ways to determine whether your primary physician’s references for referrals are right for you.
Do Your Research
When it comes to your health, post diagnosis, it’s best never to take things at face value. There’s a great deal at stake, so you should approach your treatment options with a focused sense of urgency and priority. This means sitting down and doing your research on the doctors with a trusted friend or family member who has your best interests at heart.
Key factors to consider when looking for the right specialized physician include:
- Pinpointing any relevant credentials, studies and specific diseases doctors specialize in treating.
- Finding not only the most affordable or closest options, but also the ones that will be most attentive to your needs.
- Scheduling either phone or face-to-face chats with doctors that closely match your unique criteria.
The more information you can gather on potential doctors, the more likely you are to find the treatments and care needed to live a longer, healthier life.
Be Mindful of Provider Networks
There are a great deal of options when it comes to finding the best specialized cancer physicians to treat you, which means many doctors, especially those in larger provider networks, tend to rely on referral groups found within the same networks.
Although this may seem convenient on the surface, having access to more could actually mean less in the long run. Provider networks are known for choosing preferred physicians, time and time again, for reasons that may have nothing to do with their treatment abilities, margin of medical error, or even bedside manner.
Ultimately, provider networks are a good start when researching the best options for your particular case, but rarely should they be seen as the end-all-be-all when making any final decisions.
Put Your Care in Trusted Hands
At Mid-Florida Cancer Centers, we’re committed to providing every patient who walks through our doors the best and most affordable care possible, regardless of where you may fall in the treatment process. We have state of the art technology available with provincial convenience. Learn more about how we can help you realize and preserve a comfortable, healthy life after diagnosis by requesting an appointment or calling us at (866) 977-6322.