If you live in or near New Jersey, it may not be difficult to find plenty of neurosurgeons when doing your research, but it is hard to know who to trust. With the popularity of social media and online review sites, it can be puzzling work trying to choose from the variety of doctors who you hear about in online communities. It seems one person gives a doctor a glowing recommendation while the next person can’t understand why people like them. Whether you have hemifacial spasms or another neurological disorder, it is imperative that you find a physician who you have complete confidence in.
Referral From Your Family Doctor
Most people want to feel that their doctor really listens with a compassionate ear when they are explaining their medical concerns. They want to know that the physician has their health and well-being as his or her main concern and that their biggest mission that day isn’t getting to the golf course on time. Getting a referral from your long-time family doctor or a trusted PCP is a wise way to learn about neurosurgeons who are trailblazers in their field, and who can not only meet your expectations but exceed them.
If your family doctor doesn’t have many patients with neurological problems, he will probably be willing to make a few phone calls to associates whose opinion he values. This plan is a smart way to help you locate an outstanding neurosurgeon.
Recommendations From People You Trust
Talk with people who aren’t dramatic or prone to exaggeration when asking your acquaintances to recommend a physician who specializes in hemifacial spasm treatment in NJ. You could also contact the physicians who your PCP recommends and ask the staff if they know of former patients who would be open to discussing their encounters with the physician. This type of research can give you valuable insight into how the doctor and their staff care for their patients.
Check Out the Website
Reading about the physician and their staff on their website is a fantastic way to learn about their specialties, education, experience and sometimes even hobbies and other interests. If the doctor has been board-certified, honored by his colleagues, published in medical journals or is an author of medical books, this indicates that his specialty isn’t just a career, but a passion. Other indications that a doctor is well-respected in his field are if he teaches or is a board member of different medical societies.
Read Online Reviews
These days, when you or your friends want information, one of the first places you usually search for information is online. This is a superb way to learn about how other patients feel about certain physicians. There are many websites that allow patients to grade the doctor in many different areas, such as compassion, the amount of time he or she spends with a patient, the office staff and the wait time in the lobby and exam room.
Type “online reviews on physicians” in your search bar and it will bring up many reputable sites that will help you formulate an opinion on the various neurosurgeons in the New Jersey area who provide hemifacial spasm treatment. One way to determine if the website is reputable is to read the ‘About’ page. If it is run by a medical facility, doctors, a university or some other professional organization, it is more likely to be trustworthy.
Go for Consultations
Getting the most out of consultations with a couple of neurosurgeons is not an easy task for many people, so don’t feel that you are alone in your anxiety. Since many insurance plans won’t pay for more than two or three consultations, it is smart to arrive at your office visit prepared. Jot down all your medications and the details of your disorder, such as when the twitching started, what parts of your face it affects, any triggers that seem to exacerbate the medical condition and what steps you have taken toward finding relief. Remember to arrive with any recent X-rays or other imaging that pertains to the hemifacial spasms, and bring a copy of your medical records that detail your visits to other physicians who have treated you for the disorder in the past.
You should also remember to write down any questions or concerns that puzzle you. So many patients leave the physician’s office and, as soon as they get in their car or arrive home, they remember a critical question or concern that they were determined to ask. Don’t be embarrassed to bring lots of notes to remind you of your concerns. Even if you are cool and collected at the office visit, something the nurse or doctor says may distract you from remembering a question you considered vital. A compassionate neurosurgeon with integrity will want you to get as much out of the office visit as possible in order to alleviate any anxieties.
Although finding a trusted neurosurgeon for hemifacial spasm treatment in NJ may seem like a daunting task, if you follow the above guidelines you will undoubtedly conclude that the research was time well spent.
