Choosing a doctor is one of the hard decisions to make. The last thing you want to do at the doctor’s office is find yourself in an awkward situation that could put you in jeopardy.
One of the best approaches to ensure that you are receiving treatment from someone with whom you feel comfortable and safe is to do a little background research on your doctor. With 3,000 doctors being trained each year for cases like malpractice, impropriety, and sexual crimes, doing research on your doctor can give you peace of mind.
Before we tell you how you should see your doctor, it’s helpful to know how medical boards currently screen doctors for criminal records.
Physicians must maintain an active license issued by their state’s medical board. Various blades have distinctive policies regarding criminal records and discipline. Doctors in your state may continue to practice with a criminal record or pending investigation, however some states are more strict.
There are 70 restorative/osteopathic sheets in the US, each with various guidelines. Sheets in 36 states expect doctors to pass this background check conducted by companies like Intelifi before they are licensed and allowed to practice. Tragically, however, there are 14 states that do not have this policy to work with physicians.
You can check screening practices in your state by visiting the Federation of State Medical Boards. In the event that you choose to simply go ahead and perform your own particular background check, you should check regional and state criminal records, as your doctor may have practiced in various locations in your state. You can also do a national criminal investigation to see if your doctor has convictions in other states. You should also consider checking the National Sex Offender Registry list.
In addition to a criminal check, check with your state’s restorative board to make sure your doctor is licensed and on favorable terms. You can also use DocInfo, which is controlled by the Federation of State Medical Boards that provides data on a doctor’s medical school, licensing history, specialization, locations, and disciplinary activities.
You can also use the efficient background check services provided by a reliable company to help you lessen your worries about choosing the right doctor. They are sure to be available to help you find records for any doctor you want to see.
In the background of anything else, it is your health that we are talking about and you surely want a doctor who can make you feel safe and better, not sick.
