If your hand has been experiencing pain, weakness, numbness, or any other kind of disability or discomfort, you may have a hand condition that is best diagnosed and treated by a hand specialist in Frederick, Maryland.
A hand specialist will not automatically suggest surgery, as this trained professional will determine the best method of treatment for your particular case and needs.
Here are a few tips on how to find the best hand surgeon in Frederick, MD for you.
Ask For Recommendations From Your Physician
The first point of contact and the first person who will come to mind is usually your primary care doctor. This is someone who has already built a professional relationship with you and is familiar with your general wants, needs, and preferences.
Your primary care physician’s recommendations are valuable and worth consideration. Other recommendations could come from your family members or friends, and they should definitely be taken into account, but your primary care physician has a larger pool of knowledge to draw from.
If you are required by your health insurance to first obtain a referral before seeing a specialist, such as a hand surgeon, this is an important factor. If you already know the name of a hand specialist you’d like to see, ask your doctor if they can refer you to that particular specialist.
Talk To Friends And Family
While your family and friends may not be professionals in the field of hand care, if they have already gone through the process of finding a specialist, they can be an invaluable resource of information.
Talk to them about their experience, what worked best for them, and if there is anything they wish they could have known beforehand. Often, you will learn something that you might not have considered in your individual research.
Check Your Insurance Coverage
If you have one or two names of recommended hand surgeons, check your insurance provider’s network of doctors to see if the surgeon’s name is there. That said, medical practices often offer special payment plans so that their services are affordable for patients, regardless of insurance coverage.
Do not hesitate to call the surgeon’s office or even your own health insurance office if you have any concerns or run into any roadblocks. Also, if there is a certain provider who you would like to work with, but isn’t covered by your insurance, see what you can do to make sure that lack of insurance coverage isn’t an impediment to your wellbeing.
Research The Hand Surgeon’s Credentials And Reviews
You should always make sure that your provider is qualified and has good results. Healthgrades.com and Vitals.com are really good online sources for information about physicians.
You can look up a doctor’s credentials and also see reviews and testimonials from past patients. Usually photos of results are on the doctor’s website, so you can also check there for reviews. Be careful, however, since they can also choose to hide any bad or negative reviews.
A hand surgeon should be board-certified and fellowship-trained in order to have the necessary training, skills, and experience to provide specialized care.
Consider the Hand Surgeon’s Experience
When it comes to choosing the doctor who will restore the function of your hand, experience matters. The more experience a doctor has, the better your results are likely going to be. Ask how many patients with your specific condition the hand surgeon has treated.
If you know you need a specific procedure, ask how many of the procedures the doctor has performed and find out about complication rates. Complication rates are complications the doctor has encountered as well as your own risk of complications.
Additionally, experience matters in choosing a physician of any kind. The more experience the hand surgeon has, the better the outcomes tend to be.
Research Hospital Quality
Your surgeon’s hospital is also your hospital. For this reason, consider the quality of care at the hospital or ambulatory surgical center where the hand surgeon treats patients.
Hospital quality matters to you because patients at top-rated hospitals have fewer complications and better survival rates. Also, your surgeon isn’t going to be the only person working with you. Look into nurses and general bedside manner, as well as general reviews of the hospital.
Make sure that they’re health inspections are up to date and that their equipment is not outdated. Additionally, consider whether the hospital’s location is important to you. If your condition requires frequent follow-up and rehabilitation visits, you may need a location that is nearby.
Evaluate Communication Style
Choose a hand surgeon who you feel comfortable talking to and who supports your information needs. Schedule an interview with them before having any work done to make sure that they can address all your needs and concerns. When you first meet the hand surgeon, ask a question and notice how he or she responds.
Does he or she listen to your questions and answer them patiently and in ways that you can understand? You should find a hand surgeon who shows an interest in informing you well, who will consider your treatment preferences, and who will respect your decision-making process.
You don’t want a surgeon who will rush through your procedure without communicating with you.
If you’re ready to find the best hand surgeon in Frederick, MD who has all of these qualities and is willing to work with you, then contact Herrera Reconstructive Surgery today at (301) 739-7790 to schedule your consultation as soon as possible!