Essential Considerations while Choosing an Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is a professional eye care doctor who performs various eye exams, and eye surgeries prescribe medicines, and treats eye diseases. They undergo extensive training for becoming an ophthalmologist. If your vision requires more treatment than the basic eye treatment, then you should consult an ophthalmologist. Choosing the right ophthalmologist will ensure that you get the best eye treatment.
Here are some of the things that should be considered before making an appointment with an Ophthalmologist.
1. Know about the experience and expertise of the eye doctor - Work experience and expertise are one of the biggest factors that decide the capability of the doctor and his treatment. It includes how many years the eye doctor has worked in treating eye conditions. Choose an ophthalmologist who has plenty of experience and positive patient outcomes behind him. You should also know about the success rate of the doctor in treating specific eye problems.
Always consider doctors who are board certified and not involved in any malpractice.
2. Use referrals – Ask for referrals from your current doctor, family, and friends who have a positive and longstanding relationship with the ophthalmologist who can provide the best treatment for your eyes. They might have also undergone the same treatment. You can also analyze online reviews on search engines for getting insights about the top-rated ophthalmologist in your area that can provide exceptional eye treatment.
3. Consider specialist – Most ophthalmologists specialize in certain treatments where they excel. Some may specialize in performing LASIK surgery or some may be in Cataract surgery. Consider ophthalmologists who specialize in treating the eye condition that you are diagnosed with. They also conduct various research and indulge in innovative treatments for increasing their efficiency in the specific field that they are specialized in.
4. Consider comfort - Consider an ophthalmologist whom you feel safe and secure and who openly provides necessary information about your eye problem. Always consider ophthalmologists who can make you feel comfortable and whom you can trust. Gender also plays an important role in making the patient feel comfortable. As same gender ophthalmologist who has expertise in treating the eye condition of the same gender will be more effective. The patient can also openly discuss personal information about their eye problem with the same gender.
5. Telehealth facilities - The importance of telecommunication technology is felt during the pandemic era. Telehealth is a great option for patients who want to get quality eye care without frequently visiting a doctor. There can be many reasons why some patients cannot visit the eye doctor frequently such as someone sick at home or patients who are at more risk of contracting communicable diseases. Telehealth can be important for routine checkups and minor eye problems. The patient can send his symptoms to the doctor with a two-way video and get the treatment. Make sure to consult an ophthalmologist who offers telehealth also.
6. Credentials – You need to consider the credentials before making an appointment with the ophthalmologist. Always consult an ophthalmologist who has proper training, licensing, board certification, and proper credentials to assuring quality service. Some ophthalmologist falsely advertises their education and certification. Always research the authenticity of the doctor and always consult an ophthalmologist who has experience in treating patients.
7. Check patients' reviews - Checking patients’ reviews who have already received the same treatment will surely give you an idea about the efficiency of the ophthalmologist. These reviews reflect the experience of patients with the ophthalmologist. These reviews will give you an idea about the behavior of the eye doctor as well as waiting time, scheduling appointments, office environment, patient care, following and how the ophthalmologist communicate with the patients. It will also give an idea about how the ophthalmologist answers all the queries of the patients.
8. Check the quality of the hospital the doctor is working with – You should also consider the quality standards of the hospital with whom the doctor is associated. The eye hospital should be equipped with the latest technology instruments. You should also consider if the management of the hospital is patient-friendly as well as how they are providing safety and security to the eye patients and giving enough time to the patients. Consult with an ophthalmologist who is associated with the state-of-the-art facilitated hospital.
9. Consider transparency and communication – Check if the ophthalmologist is transparent about the surgical procedures, payments, etc. An ideal ophthalmologist should be able to easily answer the queries of the patients.
Always consult an ophthalmologist who shows interest in answering your queries in a way that you can understand easily. A good ophthalmologist will make you feel comfortable and shows interest in your treatment. He will not make you feel rushed. You should also notice how the ophthalmologist responds to your queries.
Conclusion - You should consider many things while making the right decision for your eye health. An ophthalmologist's efficiency plays an important role in the health of your precious eyes. Dr. Ankit Desai is a board-certified ophthalmologist and founder of Windy City Retina. He specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal and macular diseases.
