If you’re looking for a Louisiana orthopedic surgeon, you may feel overwhelmed by the task at hand. Fortunately, there are many specialists available to help you get the care you need. Proper research and then asking the right questions can help you narrow down your search.
Which Comes First: The Doctor or the Hospital?
As you’re preparing for surgery, you need to consider both the doctor and the hospital. You can do this in whatever order feels most comfortable to you. You may find that your quest involves a bit of back and forth as you explore your options.
Consider taking notes during the process and highlighting your top three to five choices for both hospitals and doctors. With this information, you can cross-reference the two to find the best fit.
Comparing Orthopedic Hospitals
If this is the first time that you’ve researched a surgical facility or a hospital, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. Statistically, there are two numbers to pay particular attention to when considering hospital – the infection rate, the success rate, and the patient experience.
Hospital Infection Rates: Many factors contribute to a hospital’s infection rates, including whether antibiotics are administered before surgery, the type of anesthesia used, and the time spent in surgery. Hospitals can reduce infection rates by focusing on proper sterilization procedures for the equipment, the room, and the medical staff.
Hospital Success Rates: These are an excellent way of judging the skill of the facility in question. Of course, higher success rates are always preferable. Whenever you can, focus your research on the orthopedic department so that your information isn’t twisted by the inclusion of unrelated data on other types of procedures.
Patient Experience: There are many review sites online that you can research to get an idea of how actual patients felt about their personal experiences. Keep in mind, however, that most patients will only take the time to share their experiences if they were extremely good or extremely bad. Those who have a moderate experience that meets their expectations don’t seek out review sites to share their stories as often.
There are many things that you can do to begin narrowing down your options; the following are a few.
Check Your Insurance Coverage: The first thing that you should do when you’re looking for a new doctor is to check your insurance coverage. Some plans require a referral from your primary care physician if you want to see a specialist.
Gather Recommendations: Ask as many people as you can for their opinions. Some good sources for recommendations include:
1.Your primary care physician;
2.Personal friends;
3.Family members;
4.Social media connections;
5.Online patient reviews;
6.OR and hospital nurses;
6.Clinical staff members;
7.Physician websites for testimonials from satisfied patients.
Consider the Surgeon’s Specialty: Orthopedics is a specialty, but you’ll also find that Louisiana orthopedic surgeons are further specialized in fields that include:
1.Sports medicine;
2.Hand;
3.Joint replacement;
4.Spine.
Orthopedic surgery can be life-changing to a debilitating injury or ongoing pain. If you are in need of a Louisiana orthopedic surgeon, call our office today to schedule a consultation. It might just be life-changing for you!
