How should we evaluate a doctor for the doctor of the year award

[icnmgrjill]

Okay folks.... now we need some criteria to use for the doctor of the year nominations.

Obviously, we need name, clinic, etc. We also need the patient to share why they've nominated this doctor. But, what else should we ask. Here are some ideas..

Knowledge of doctor about IC
Knowledge of staff about IC
Helpfulness during flares/compassion
Availability by phone
Assistance with pain, etc. etc.

What types of things should we evaluate??

Jill :)

[Katrina]

Knowledge and helpful ness with the illnesses that often go with IC (PFD, IBS, Fibro, and the whole list)
knowledge and willingness to share info on self help and treatments that don't involve a prescription too.
I'll keep thinking about it! :)

[ICNDonna]

Courtesy of office staff is extremely important.

Donna

[creatingkarma]

Appointment availability. Sometimes I can't get an appt. for a month or two. It's really frustrating.

Willingness to talk/teach about IC - so many of us have had to do our own research.

[FrankieBee]

Jill - this is my first time using this forum and I wanted to start a thread regarding questions I have about Prosed - How do you start a thread? do you have to be a moderator? I just seemed like you know your way around this site pretty well - I appreciate your advice in advance -
Thanks
Frankie

[vm]

Frankie - Jill is the founder of the ICN. :)

To start a new thread/topic, go to the main page for the message boards here at the ICN and then select a category you'd like to post your thread in. Click on that category and on the page that opens you should see a button that says "New thread" towards the top. Click on that and you are ready to go! :)

And :welcome: Glad you found us. :)

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Jill and Members,

Here are a few thoughts about what I think makes the best IC doctor. Over the past six years, I have had appointments and opportunities to work with a good sampling of IC doctors spread across the USA’s East to West Coasts. (I will be using “he” when referring to doctors for reading ease.)

I wasn’t around in past years, but there should be rules established for how the ratings will be measured. (i.e. The doctor with the most nominations? A rating system to score each category or point: one being poor and 10 being excellent. The results should be done in a way they can be scored and counted to insure the award is given as a reflection of the patients’ opinions.) Is there only going to be one award or a couple of different awards? Does the doctor get a plaque from us?

List:
Is he conducting research or practicing at an institution/university medical center, which is? Does he inform his patients of the progress of this research and is it safely and responsibly translated into the treatment of his patients. Are the risks vs. benefits adequately addressed with the patient?

Does he spend quality and adequate time with his patients, so a good treatment plan can be developed and carried out correctly? Also, empower the patient to become educated or educate them to understand their treatment and how they should contribute to the process?

Does he acknowledge IC’s symptoms and disease process can cause a great deal of physical pain, which may need timely pain management either from himself the urologist or a pain management doctor?

Does he respect the patients' right to have various treatment options to choose from along with their right to select those best for their individual bodies? Does he explain to the patient IC treatment is still in its early stages and make the patient aware many of the treatments aren't based on the results of standard medical research and clinical trials? (i.e. IC medical knowledge hasn't yet reached the advanced stages like heart disease, diabetes or even cancer.)

Is his practice balanced and comprehensive? I would prefer it not be geared to one single treatment or drug.

Does he work as a team player with the rest of the IC patient’s medical team? IC is known to come with other corresponding chronic conditions including autoimmune diseases, which left untreated will probably effect the success or failure of getting the IC controlled.

Does he treat female patients with respect or instead as hysterical patients whom have developed IC because they have a psychological illness or perhaps weren’t potty trained correctly? (NOTE: Yes, I do mean the words “potty trained” should remain.)

Does he take credit cards? LOL!!! Just kidding, no on second thought I am not. Can the treatment only be afforded and completed by the independently wealthy?
I don’t write very well and the pain from sitting at the computer is getting to me, please feel free to edit the grammar and punctuation if you select any of my suggestions. Oh yeah, does The IC Doctor of the Year have a cure?

Definition of Cure
Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. Cures are easy to claim and, all too often, difficult to confirm.
2. A time without recurrence of a disease so that the risk of recurrence is small, as in the 5-year cure rate for malignant melanoma.
3. Particularly in the past, a course of treatment. For example, take a cure at a spa.
The word cure comes from the Latin cura meaning care, concern or attention. The current use of the word cure is believed to reflect the belief that the right care, concern and attention were tantamount to a cure. (www.medterms.com)

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[creatingkarma]

Did the doctor refer you to the ICN and/or other support groups?

[Sarojini]

All of these suggestions are great -- I also think that special touches are nice. Like, my former uro from Memphis used to start and end each appointment with a hug and would spend as much time with you as necessary during the appointments.

I also think that knowledge of other conditions (IBS, fibro, and the like) that can occur concurrently with IC is important.

Also, is the doctor able to network well -- for example, does he/she have contacts in his/her specialty AS WELL as other specialties so referrals are easy and trustworthy?

[mallenajolie]

Here are some additional guidelines:

Does the doctor take financial constraints when prescribing meds (e.g. I have high copays, my uro was willing to try and substitute less expensive drugs which provide similiar relief, provides samples of meds, not only for the first couple of weeks of trail, but indefinately,e.g. flomax)?

Does the doctor try and help you figure out why your symptoms may be elevated or worsened, not just a "flare" and moves on?

Does the doctor see you as a person too, not just a patient with a bladder disease?

Does the doctor relate to your experiences and issues (e.g ask questions, not just listen?

Does the doctor go slow and not push treatments, put you in the driver's seat?

Open to alternative treatments?

Willing to treat your pain as serious? Not confortable providing meds, provide adequate referrals?

like cats?

[IC SARAH-CPP]

Willingness to listen and believe. I have found this to be the single most important quality in the docs I see. So many act like they listen, but they dont. I like most the other suggestions also.
Sarah

[Janie Miranda]

Hey, I have one. Does the health care provider take a wide range of health insurances? Speaking as one who is the spouse of a military retiree, I have found almost NONE will take our insurance . . . TRICARE. In other words, I and many, many, folks who have served their country and are the families of those who have served -- do not even have the OPTION to see most of these good doctors. Please do not discount the importance of availabilty as a criteria.

[hoping4acure]

I think all of the above are wonderful...couldn't of said it better.

Knowledge of IC is #1 for me.

I also like a doctor to be compassionate and a good listener.

[Cali girl]

Here's some:

-The doctor acknowledging that IC is different for everybody. In otherwords, some experience pain at different levels, urgency, frequency, etc. can be different from patient to patient.

-The understanding that IC is a very real disease, a treatable disease that is not in our heads.

-The willingness to help patients so they don't suffer needlessly. For example those that have pain should be treated for pain.

Speaking from experience I had a doctor who thought everyone experienced the same thing at the same level for IC. He didn't even know that IC could cause pain in some patients. :loco: I also had a doctor who didn't say she thought it was all in my head but she gave me that look like I was nuts when I told her of my symptoms and no infection found. :mad: