Dr. Michaels has been my family physician since I arrived in the area in 2001. I'm very pleased with the care I've received from him, and quite puzzled by some of the negative comments. I'm pretty sure there are two sides to some of these review stories, and I would urge anyone who is looking for a family physician to make an appointment and judge for yourself.
My care from Dr. Michaels has been first rate. When I have had HMO insurance in the past and he was the gatekeeper, he always gave me access to specialists when needed. I never felt that my insurance coverage was throttling my care. Although medicine is not always a perfect science, Dr. Michaels' diagnoses have always been accurate and his treatments effective. The referrals that I have received from him have been stellar. Overall, I'm quite pleased with the care I am receiving.
So I'm thinking that some of the review stories may have another side to them, and the patients themselves were not on their best behavior. In some cases, this is understandable, as we are not always at our best when seeing the doctor. In other cases, some people just aren't good patients. Here are some tips on how to be a good patient and have a positive experience with any doctor.
1) Before you go to an appointment, WRITE DOWN all of your symptoms, questions, and concerns about your health. Take a pen, refer to this list during the visit, and take notes.
2) Write down ALL your current medications and doses, including over the counter meds, vitamines, etc. Give a copy to the staff. Keep another copy in your wallet or purse.
3) Yes, doctors are using laptops now to keep records. This is a MUCH better way to accurately capture your medical record than taking hand notes or simply not capturing as much detail of the visit. Don't be offended by this electronic note taking. The doctor is using these tools to be a more effective caregiver.
4) Take an active interest in the conversation. Ask questions. Be sure you understand everything the doctor is telling you.
5) After the visit, when you get home, write a synopsis of your visit, including any vaccinations given, all instructions for medications and other treatments.
5) Finally, and most importantly, follow through on all of the recommendations and advice. Take you medications as directed. Supplement your knowledge with the Internet, but don't be an Internet doctor.
Medicine is not a perfect science, and mistakes and miss-diagnoses will occur. But if we do our part as patients, we can minimize these occurrences and maximize positive experiences with our doctors. read more