Guide to Top Doctors (Consumers Guide to Top Doctors)

I have both editions of TOP DOCTOR'S. I am waiting for the next edition, as it seems more doctors voted the second time, and some mentioned in first book are no longer there.It's the best information available.No one knows what they are getting when going into surgery, nor just how good their doctor might be. It's my "Bible". I can't do without it. I carry a copy in my car when I travel, as it has doctors in most major cities.I have sent copies of the city that my children live in, and have recommended they only go to those doctors on list.I copy the cities I travel to in case of emergency. I have noticed that there is one group which has many doctors, and they seem to vote for those in the same religion, so don't just go by whomever has most mentions(votes). Hope that next editions check for previous review concern below on status of doctor,and anything else that will improve the book. Better safe than sorry.

When people decide to buy an automobile, or even a new vacuum cleaner, they research the products available before making their decision. Why, then, when they find they're in need of something like back surgery, do they choose whoever is readily available, or the local doctor who "seems like a really nice guy?"This book saved my life, or rather, my quality of life. When I was diagnosed with a back problem that would require surgery, I decided that I was going to be very particular about the surgeon that was allowed to "mess with MY back!" I found this book at our local library and selected, from it, a highly rated neurosurgeon in my geographical area. I have been very happy with the results! As a Registered Nurse with many years of experience, I have referred many people, who ask for a recommendation to a reliable physician, to this book. I will be forever grateful that I had access to its information when it was needed.

Very important book listing top doctorswould love to have similar book listing top hospitals.It is getting a recommendation from their peers and boy, is that important....Everyone should buy this book

There ought to be a good way to choose a doctor. Having capable doctors is crucial to everything that happens to you in the health care system.I have been a health care professional (not a physician) for many years and hear from many patients who are unhappy with their doctors and don't know where to turn. Also, I talk all the time with patients who wonder if their doctor is really the best choice for them, whether the doctor is really competent, and wonder about where to go for a second opinion.As the Guide to Top Doctors points out, it would be great to have actual data on which doctors had the best results with specific types of cases--which have the best results with neck surgery or breast cancer treatment, for example. But such data aren't available.The next best thing is to find out which doctors are regarded as best by other doctors who observe them in practice. That is what the Guide to Top Doctors does. The book is published by the Center for the Study of Services. I was familiar with Consumers' CHECKBOOK, the local magazine that Center publishes, when I lived near Washington, DC, and it was highly respected.They say they surveyed 260,000 doctors to put the book together and asked each doctor which specialists he or she would consider "most desirable for care of a loved one." That is the right question. It allows the surveyed doctors to take into account the human qualities of the specialists as well as technical skills. Human qualities DO matter.I like the fact that the book tells you exactly how the doctors included in the book were selected. It also tells you how many doctors recommended each listed doctor. You can see that some were recommended by five peers and some by twenty-five peers.There is helpful text in the book on how to get the best care your doctor can give and what to expect from your doctor and when to switch.

Is a good doctor really that hard to find? In an era of unease and mistrust of professionals, when all our leaders seem to have feet of clay, we all long for a doctor with skill, character and compassion; and oh, yes, (s)he has to be on the proper HMO panel. How to find one, where to look? No longer is word of mouth enough. We've been told to be wary of the bad guys, but how to assure yourself of finding the good guys: that's the challenge. The Guide to Top Doctors allows you a bit more security. They have asked docs in 30 metropolitan areas around the country: "Who would you see if you needed a good doctor?" The answer lies within the pages of the Guide. This idea has been tried by another group, Best Doctors, beginning in the early 1990's, with a similar conclusion. Ask doctors to whom they would send their families, and see which names keep coming up. The Guide carries an extra sheen of objectivity: it comes from the non-profit Center for the Study of Services. No guarantees, but many of the people I would see are in the book. And it must be good; I found my name there, too.