All health care providers are not the same, and they don’t always provide the same level of care. By arming yourself with as much information as possible, you can help protect yourself from getting into a situation where you need to file a medical malpractice suit.
Ways to Research Doctors
- The not-for-profit Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) offers a database with information about disciplinary measures against physicians across the nation.
- State licensing boards offer helpful information about the status of physicians’ licenses and other basic information. (https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx)
- The American Medical Association (AMA), the governing body for physicians, has an extensive database with information about complaints and investigation results for doctors.
- The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) gathers information about the quality of care that doctors provide their patients. They use this data to grade physicians. If the doctor you are considering has been evaluated by the NCQA, you should be able to find a grade for that particular physician.
- Search for information about a particular doctor online. This often reveals information about malpractice claims, disciplinary actions and patient reviews.
However, despite extensive research, you may find yourself the victim of medical malpractice. An estimated 225,000 people die each year from some form of medical malpractice – from misdiagnosis to wrong medications/dosages to unnecessary surgery.
If you believe you have a medical malpractice case, it is in your best interest to contact an attorney. An attorney will be able to help by listening to your story and helping to determine whether the doctor or medical team acted within the requisite standard of care when treating you generally with the assistance of a qualified board certified expert in the same medical specialty.
Contact BoneeWeintraub and find out about our free consults for accidents, personal injury and medical malpractice: no legal fees until recovery.