How to Choose a Diabetes Doctor

Diabetes is a disease that is exploding in the United States. There are now 26 million people who have the disease. In addition, about 1 out of 3 children alive today will develop diabetes during their lifetime.

With this explosion of diabetes it is becoming more important to find a diabetic doctor who can provide the best care and help one avoid the many possible serious complications of the disease. Diabetes directly damages many different tissues in the body. The eyes are at risk of damage to the small blood vessels in the back of the eye. This can lead to blindness. The kidneys become damaged. Without proper kidney function, one can need to be on dialysis. Diabetic nerve damage can impair the ability to notice an open sore or infection. This can lead to a leg amputation.

Heart disease is also a major killer among diabetics. We know that if you compare two people who are identical, except one of them has diabetes, the person who has diabetes is four times more likely to have a heart attack.

Essentially all of these problems stemming from diabetes are preventable. However in order to prevent them, one must have early treatment and evaluation by a highly qualified diabetes doctor. In this article we will attempt to help you choose a great diabetes doctor.

When anyone goes to the doctor these days, it seems like the doctor is in a rush. It isn?t that doctors don’t care about your problems. The reason for this is the way Medicare pays doctors makes it extremely difficult for doctors to spend as much time as they might need in order for you to understand your condition.

Some doctors today will see upwards of sixty patients in the office every day. When a doctor tries to see this many patients he simply cannot spend more than a couple of minutes with each patient. That leaves the bulk of the care and explanations with an assistant or nurse. This person may or may not fully understand the implications be able to describe them to you in such a way that will help you the most.

So, how do you find a diabetic expert to serve as your doctor? The answer is simple. Look for a diabetes doctor who is an expert and who emphasizes patient education.

The type of doctor who has the most specialized training about diabetes is an endocrinologist. They have the most expertise about the ways that organs work together. And the way your organs work together is critical when you have diabetes.

Today most doctors that emphasize education have a website. Websites can give you clues about the experience you will have with the doctor. The doctor?s website should not look like a yellow-page ad. The website should function primarily to provide loads of helpful information geared toward patient education. If you don’t seem to be able to find enough helpful information on the doctor’s website, then you might not get a lot of helpful information when you speaking with the doctor in the office either.

If you believ you have found a great diabetes doctor, don’t rush to make an appointment. You should first call the office and ask a number of questions. First, ask how many patients the doctor sees. This should give you an idea of how much time the doctor will spend with you. If you have a lot of questions, or very little understanding of your diabetes, you must find a doctor that will spend time with explanations. Otherwise, you might wind up on dialysis or suffering from a below the knee amputation. Make sure that you see a doctor who limits his practice to 20 or 30 patient per day.

Ask whether or not the doctor did any advanced traing after medical school such as a or fellowship or residency specific to diabetes. By asking this question, you will find out whether or not, he is a specialist. You don?t want to be treated for diabetes by someone who treats all kind of different illnesses. Get someone who truly enjoys managing diabetes. You want to an expert. You don’t want a jack-of-all-trades.

Ask if the doctor has done any research or published articles related to diabetes? A doctor who does clinical research is likely to stay on the leading edge of advances in diabetes treatments. Such a person typically enjoys writing articles and sharing what they find with others. In general doctors who write articles are likely to be willing to spend more time with you in explaining your condition. Knowledge is power. The more you learn, the better equipped you will be to manage your diabetes.

Find out of the doctor will he perform a diabetic foot exam? This often separates the good docs from the great ones. Don?t expect your endocrinologist to be a foot expert. However, a diabetes expert will recognize the importance of making sure that you don’t develop a foot problem that leads to a diabetic foot or leg amputation. If the office staff tells you that this doctor never examines feet, you should find another doctor.

Finally, ask how quickly the doctor would see you if you had a true diabetic emergency. Even the busiest of doctors have to recognize diabetic emergencies and deal with them immediately. If the doctor does not see emergency patients immediately, find another doctor.

For example with a diabetic foot emergency, we know that being evaluated and treated within a few hours (instead of a few days) can make the difference between an an office visit or an amputation. In some cases, it can even be life or death.

Being diagnoses with diabetes can be frightening. However, if you find the right diabetic expert to take care of you, you can live a long and active life. Do a little research and asking the right questions.