| Finding the right arthritis specialist is | | | | process. The use of diagnostic ultrasound |
| extremely important since arthritis not only | | | | allows the physician to perform joint |
| can cripple you but it also can significantly | | | | injections with 100% accuracy. Diagnostic |
| shorten lifespan. | | | | ultrasound is also much less expensive than |
| | | | magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). |
| I give a lot of talks and the questions I | | | | |
| hear a lot are: "I went to an arthritis | | | | 7. They should have completed at least 100 |
| specialist and they weren't anything special" | | | | clinical research studies. Physicians who |
| or "How do I find a good specialist?" | | | | have extensive clinical research experience |
| | | | are much more attuned to the latest therapies |
| Let's make a distinction here... there's a | | | | than those specialists who don't perform |
| big difference between an arthritis | | | | clinical research. |
| specialist and an arthritis expert. To get | | | | |
| the best results you want an expert! | | | | 8. A specialist should have published at |
| | | | least 50 papers in the medical literature. |
| A specialist is just somebody who passed the | | | | |
| board exam. An expert is someone who not only | | | | 9. How many Google citations does the expert |
| passed the board exam but who has also | | | | have? Nowadays, more and more people are |
| devoted his or her life to becoming the best | | | | getting their information from the Internet. |
| in their field. They publish articles, they | | | | The mega search engine, Google, probably has |
| do research, they are focused on top-notch | | | | the best ability to search for experts. The |
| patient care, and they make it their life's | | | | number of citations a doctor has tells you |
| work to do their best to help people who have | | | | how much he or she has invested in time and |
| arthritis. | | | | effort to help with patient education and |
| | | | further their specialty. It stands to reason, |
| And when it comes to your health, you better | | | | the more they write the more knowledge and |
| find someone who is tops! Otherwise you're | | | | expertise they possess. To see how many |
| wasting your time and money. | | | | citations they have, just go to Google, put |
| | | | in the expert's name in quotes, like this, |
| 1. Board certification. Board certification | | | | "nathan wei" and then the word "arthritis", |
| is no guarantee. However, if a doctor isn't | | | | so it looks like this... |
| board certified that should send up a red | | | | |
| flag. | | | | "nathan wei" arthritis. |
| | | | |
| 2. You want someone who has been in practice | | | | If you get fewer than 500 citations, that |
| at least 20 years. Medicine is like most | | | | person is not an expert. Remember, not all |
| skills...the more experience a specialist has | | | | specialists are experts. It's like any |
| the better. In 2001, medical errors accounted | | | | profession. There are good ones, there are |
| for 97,000 deaths in the United States and | | | | bad ones, and there are truly great ones. In |
| there's a direct correlation between lack of | | | | fact, there are doctors who are pretty |
| experience and medical errors. | | | | terrible. That's right. They're terrible. |
| | | | Why? Because they don't know their specialty |
| 3. Look for these initials after the | | | | and they don't have good patient skills. Do |
| MD...a.F.A.C.P. This stands for Fellow of the | | | | you really want to be stuck with a lemon? If |
| American College of Physicians. This means | | | | you have arthritis, a potentially |
| the doctor has academic credentials-they've | | | | life-changing disease, don't you think it's |
| published papers and are respected as an | | | | best to see an expert? |
| authority.b.F.A.C.R. This stands for Fellow | | | | |
| of the American College of Rheumatology. This | | | | 10.What is their staff like? Even a great |
| means that they are at least board eligible | | | | physician needs a great support staff. |
| or board certified. | | | | |
| | | | 11.Do you get the feeling they care? A good |
| If they don't have FACP as well as FACR, | | | | practice will make you feel like family. |
| they're not an expert. | | | | |
| | | | 12.Are they part of your insurance plan? This |
| 4. Arthroscopy is an important skill. It's | | | | is a trick question. The very best experts |
| the ability to look inside the joint with a | | | | don't let their decisions get made by the |
| small telescope and diagnosis and treat. Ask | | | | insurance company. Your health is the most |
| if the arthritis specialist is a member of | | | | important possession you have. Don't you want |
| the Arthroscopy Association of North America? | | | | a physician who is going to be working for |
| These are the most skilled arthroscopists in | | | | you and not for the insurance company? |
| the world. | | | | Medical decisions affecting your health |
| | | | should be made with your well-being - not the |
| 5. Do they have in-house laboratory, x-ray | | | | insurance company's bottom dollar-- in mind! |
| and bone density equipment? If they do, ask | | | | Most real experts divest themselves of |
| if their lab is high complexity and certified | | | | insurance companies because they do not want |
| by the state as a reference lab. | | | | their judgment clouded by pressure from |
| | | | insurance companies and they have the |
| 6. Do they have diagnostic ultrasound? This | | | | reputation that allows them to do that. |
| is a new technology for visualizing joint | | | | |
| disease. It is used to detect evidence of | | | | If you found this information valuable and |
| early inflammation and also to follow the | | | | would like to know more, you can get a copy |
| effects of medications in slowing the disease | | | | of our free Consumer Awareness guide. |