What to Look For in a Palm Beach Heart Doctor
The most common reasons you might be looking for a top cardiologist in Palm Beach are that you’ve recently moved to the area, or that your personal physician has noticed symptoms that might indicate non-urgent heart problems, and has suggested that you see a specialist.
If you fall into the latter category, your personal physician may have already referred you to a Palm Beach heart doctor he knows and trusts, but if you’re looking at websites like this one, it’s safe to assume that you may be still looking for other reasons, such as wanting to find an office closer to your home, or a doctor to whom you can relate more personally and comfortably. So even if you are starting with a recommendation, we commend you for “doing your homework,” and hope that the tips in this article will help you find the right heart doctor.
Factors you should keep in mind when looking for a Palm Beach cardiologist
- Credentials and experience. This might seem obvious, but we mention it because many patients don’t really look deeply into the educational and experiential backgrounds of their prospective doctors. What you should be looking for in a good heart doctor is someone who holds advanced certifications in cardiology and cardiovascular medicine in addition to their basic medical degrees. If you are moving from another location and already know the nature of your heart problem, you can also look for a doctor who has personal experience with your condition and how it is treated.
- Referrals and recommendations. Ask around among your friends, family, and other medical professionals you know, asking for their referral. If you have already found a cardiologist you are considering seeing, try to find out what that cardiologist’s current patients think of them by reading physician reviews on the Web.
- “Location, location, location.” Yes, this is a saying from the world of real estate, but it can be equally important when you are searching for a heart doctor, because you’ll be seeing them often. If you have heart problems, your Delray Beach cardiologist will be the person whom you will count on the most to guide you through the different stages of your treatment and to monitor your progress. So you should choose a doctor whose offices are near where you live. If your condition is going to require frequent tests at a hospital, you should also find out which hospitals the cardiologist is affiliated with, and find out whether they accept your type of health insurance.
- Your cardiologist should have good communication skills. This may not sound like an important factor for a doctor, but it really is, because you need to know how well you can communicate with them. When you ask questions, does the doctor really listen? And does he answer your questions directly and clearly, using language you can easily understand? The bottom line is that you should feel comfortable with your heart doctor.
Finally, before deciding, come in and talk to us at South Palm Cardiovascular Associates
We’ll be happy to meet with you and answer any questions you might have about cardiovascular care in general or your condition in particular. Our doctors at South Palm Cardiovascular Associates are among the most respected in Florida, and for good reason. To find out why we have the excellent reputation we do, give us a call at 561-55-0080, or spend some time looking over the rest of our website at www.southpalmcardiovascular.com and reading the many informative articles we’ve published there
