MedlinePlus: Choosing a Doctor or Health Care Service

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Photograph of a handshake between a male patient and a male doctor

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- Services and providers for Choosing a Doctor or Health Care Service in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Choosing a Doctor or Health Care Service is the National Institute on Aging
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Choosing a Doctor or Health Care Service

We all want high-quality health care, but it's hard to know how to choose. There are many things to consider, including

What your insurance covers
Whether a healthcare provider or service is accredited
The location of a service
Hours that the service is available
Whether you like a healthcare provider's personality

On this page you’ll find information to help you choose a healthcare provider or service.

Start Here

Choosing a Doctor(National Institute on Aging)
Also available in Spanish
Guide to Health Care Quality: How to Know It When You See It(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - Large PDF file
Also available in Spanish

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews	Specific Conditions Related Issues	Health Check Tools Videos
Research	Reference Shelf	For You
Research	Directories Organizations Statistics	Children Seniors

Overviews
- Selecting a Health Care Provider(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
Specific Conditions
- Choosing a Cleft Palate or Craniofacial Team(Cleft Palate Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Choosing a Family Doctor(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  Also available in Spanish
- Choosing a Psychiatrist(American Psychiatric Association)
- Choosing an HIV Care Provider(New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center)
  Also available in Spanish
- Choosing Professionals & Coordinating Services(Center for Autism & Related Disabilities) - Links to PDF
  Also available in Spanish
- Choosing the Right Mental Health Therapist(Center for Mental Health Services)
- For People with Osteoporosis: How to Find a Doctor(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon(American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
- How to Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility If You Have Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
- Know Your Anesthesiologist(American Society of Anesthesiologists)
  Also available in Spanish
- Looking for a Qualified Surgeon? Here's How(American College of Surgeons)
- Mental Health Providers: Find One to Suit Your Needs(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Selecting a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Practitioner(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
  Also available in Spanish
- Selecting a Refractive Eye Surgeon(Eye Surgery Education Council)
- Selecting and Working with an Adoption Therapist(Children's Bureau)
- Tips for Choosing a Dentist(American Dental Association)
Related Issues
- Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-Loss Program(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Choosing a Transplant Center: A Patient's Guide(National Marrow Donor Program)
- Dialysis Facility Compare(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Large PDF file
  Also available in Spanish
- Guide to Choosing an Assisted Living Residence(Assisted Living Federation of America) - Links to PDF
- Guide to Selecting and Monitoring Brain Injury Rehabilitation Services(Brain Injury Association of America) - Large PDF file
- Helping You Choose Quality Ambulatory Care(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
- Helping You Choose Quality Behavioral Health Care(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
- Helping You Choose Quality Home Care and Hospice Services(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
- Helping You Choose the Hospital for You(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
- Helping You Identify Quality Laboratory Services(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
- Issues to Consider When Choosing a Brain Tumor Treatment Center(National Brain Tumor Society) - Links to PDF
- Long Term Health Care: Plan Ahead(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Selecting a Transplant Hospital(United Network for Organ Sharing)
- Selecting an ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) Program(American Society for Reproductive Medicine)
Health Check Tools
- Build Your Question List(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Videos
- Navigating Health Care with Your Family Doctor(American Academy of Family Physicians)
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Research
- Patient-Doctor Connectedness and the Quality of Primary Care(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF
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Directories
- MedlinePlus: Directories(National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Joint Commission(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
- National Institute on Aging
  Also available in Spanish
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Statistics
- Percent of Persons of All Ages with a Usual Place to Go for Medical Care: United States, 1997-June, 2008(National Center for Health Statistics) - Links to PDF
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Children
- Finding a Doctor for Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
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Seniors
- Choosing a Doctor(National Institute on Aging)
  Also available in Spanish
- Considering Surgery?(National Institute on Aging)
  Also available in Spanish
- Helping You Choose Quality Long Term Care(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
- Nursing Homes: Making the Right Choice(National Institute on Aging)
  Also available in Spanish
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