How to Find an Endocrinologist

Endocrinologists may be consulted for thyroid problems, diabetes, growth and metabolic conditions, fertility issues, and women's and men's health issues. Finding an endocrinologist who is right for you involves understanding why you need an endocrinologist, exploring all your local resources, and preparing for your first visit. During your first visit, you will need to address the issues of importance to you and work to establish a relationship with your doctor that meets your needs.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone
• Internet access
• Insurance Information

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Instructions

Do Your Homework

• 1

  Ask friends, coworkers, nurses, family doctors, nurse practitioners, or even bloggers or consumer review sites such as Yelp.com for information about local resources.

  Consult specialty organizations such as the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists that maintain information about providers near you.

  Health insurance plans provide toll-free numbers, Internet sites and brochures of practitioners who are near you who accept your insurance plan. Note that some healthcare maintenance organizations require you to obtain a referral from a primary care provider.

  Most large academic medical centers and quality healthcare organizations have a toll-free physician referral service.

• 2

  Consider what is important to you. Ask yourself if you are looking for a community endocrinologist who will be able to see you on short notice and admit you to the closest hospital or do you want an endocrinologist affiliated with a top ranked academic medical center? Are you looking for a specific personality, or do you wish to see someone of a specific gender or cultural background?

• 3

  Research doctors online. Many physicians will have a biography or Web site where you may check their medical school credentials, residency training, and fellowship experience. Check with the American Board of Internal Medicine to identify whether an endocrinologist is board certified.

  States maintain licensing and disciplinary records. Lawsuits are public records, therefore you can obtain information about lawsuits and closed claim settlement data from your state.

Get Prepared

• 4

  Bring records with you. Depending on the complexity of your problem, specialists have different insurance compensation than primary care doctors, which may allow the specialist to spend more time with you on a first visit. This may be the most time you ever spend one-on-one with a physician in your life, so be prepared.

  Ask your primary care physician to send your records in advance to the endocrinologist.

  Bring copies of EKG results, a current medication list with names, doses and frequencies, a symptom diary if you have one, imaging (CT, MRI, X-ray), and any dictated radiologist reports.

• 5

  Prepare yourself in advance of the visit. Find out if the office is close in proximity and how you will get there. You may need to find someone to drive or accompany you home from your visits. Find out if you need to be fasting for blood tests, and consider where you will eat if this is the case.

• 6

  Find out how to contact the endocrinologist, and make sure there is a way for them to contact you. Designate a health care agent who will make decisions for you if you are unable.

  Most physicians have a business cell phone to reach the endocrinologist directly for emergencies only. Make sure you know who will be covering for the physician when they are not on call and whether the covering physician has access to a computerized system to pull up your records.