How to Find a Physician's Credentials

Health care continues to be one of the fastest-growing sectors of the American economy and an area that is taking an increasing bite out of many family budgets. From routine examinations to life-threatening emergency room procedures, when it comes to medical care, it is important to know that the physician who is handling your case is qualified. To protect yourself and your family from medical quackery, it may be necessary to check up on your physician's credentials.

Instructions

How to Find a Physician's Credentials

• 1

  Ask the doctor or his receptionist about the doctor's medical training, professional associations and diplomas. This is the first and easiest way to check on your physician's credentials. Legitimate physicians will have no problem providing their patients with such credentials as their diplomas from medical schools, memberships in professional societies and state licenses to practice medicine.

• 2

  Contact the issuing institution and request verification if you have any question about the legitimacy of any of your physician's credentials. This may include the physician's medical school; any medical society, such as the American Medical Association, to which the physician may belong; any hospital where the physician may be on staff; or any health maintenance organization to which the physician may belong.

• 3

  Search available Internet databases if doubts still remain. There are a number of searchable databases available that can shed light on your physician's credentials. The American Medical Association provides such a service with information on all of its members, although it does not list any disciplinary action the physician may have received. The American Board of Medical Specialties also provides a verification service to determine whether your physician is certified by a specialty board.

• 4

  Check with your state's medical services office. Most have some type of searchable medical database, although there is no standardized format, and the information may be spotty at best. Some commercial search firms, such as MD Nationwide, offer credential verification reports for a fee.

• 5

  Contact the federal government's Office of the Inspector General. This office is responsible for collecting adverse information regarding physicians and makes that information available to certain government agencies, state licensing boards and other credential-granting institutions. Although it is difficult, it is not impossible to access this information via two databases: the National Practitioner Data Bank and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank.