Brain Injury Doctor Search...What questions should I ask?

	Doctor Finder Checklist
	Background Information
1.	What type of license and certification does the doctor have?
2.	Is the doctor Board Certified, Board Eligible?	Yes   No
3.	Does the doctor have special training in brain injury?	Yes   No
4.	Is the doctor's license current, has it ever been suspended?	Yes   No
5.	Is the doctor in good standing with professional organizations?	Yes   No
6.	Is the doctor viewed favorably by the medical and rehabilitation  professional community outside the program ?	Yes   No
7.	Is the doctor affiliated with any area hospitals?	Yes   No
8.	Does the doctor carry malpractice insurance?	Yes   No
	TBI Expertise & diagnostic Tests
1.	How much experience do you have  treating cases like mine?
2.	When was your practice founded, what is its guiding philosophy?
3.	Will you spend time with me and my and family to truly understand  our needs?	Yes   No
4.	What sources of funding /payment plan do you accept?	Yes   No
5.	Are treatments custom-tailored to individual client's needs?	Yes   No
6.	Which diagnostic tests will you employ in my case?   Why?	Yes   No
7.	What are they designed to reveal?	Yes   No
8.	Will you review the results with me?	Yes   No
9.	Are such tests painful or disorienting?	Yes   No
10.	Will I need an escort following such tests?	Yes   No
11.	Will you provide patient education materials, and written instructions?	Yes   No
12.	Will the diagnostic evaluation include a thorough review of past  medical/rehabilitative care and treatment?	Yes   No
13.	Will you get previous medical, school records,  other information that  might be needed to evaluate my case?	Yes   No
14.	Will the evaluation include objective, quantifiable goals for the treatment to be evaluated against?	Yes   No
15.	Will the evaluation specify the length of time the treatment would take to  accomplish the goals stated in the evaluation?	Yes   No
16.	Will the evaluation include a detailed projection of  program cost and outcome goals?	Yes   No
17.	Is my condition the type that you commonly treat?  With what results?	Yes   No
18.	What type of program options and / or support services are available for my family?  Will they need special training regarding my return home?	Yes   No
19.	How will this treatment support me in my return to work.
20.	Will you arrange for me and my family to speak with former patients?	Yes   No
	Treatment & Patient Care
1.	What is your approach to treatment?
2.	How do you view my role in treatment?
3.	What are my rights & responsibilities?  Do you have a written policy?  May I have a copy?
4.	Do you have a procedure for receiving and resolving patient and family  complaints concerning the quality of care?	Yes   No
5.	Are you willing to help me appreciate and manage my condition?	Yes   No
6.	How should I prepare for our appointments?
7.	May I expect reminder calls prior to our appointments?	Yes   No
8.	What type of treatments do you anticipate in my case?	Yes   No
9.	What are the relative risks of such treatments?
10.	Will you provide all of my evaluation and treatments yourself?	Yes   No
11.	What are the qualifications of other staff who provide such evaluation and treatments?
12.	If equipment, is used in procedures, are staff properly trained to use and care for the equipment?	Yes   No
13.	How often is the procedure is performed?  With what success?
14.	How long after treatment begins can I expect to notice improvement?
15.	What form will such improvements take?
16.	Are such improvements gradual or sudden?
17.	When will I feel like myself again?
18.	Are such improvements measurable?	Yes   No
19.	What will you use to measure them?	Yes   No
20.	Does such treatment involve pain or discomfort?	Yes   No
21.	Are such treatments very time consuming?  How so?	Yes   No
22.	Can the treatments be performed at home?	Yes   No
23.	Can treatments be self administered?  Or do they require assistance?  Are they difficult to learn?	Yes   No
24.	What are the side effects of such treatments?	Yes   No
25.	Should I discontinue treatment if side effects appear?	Yes   No
26.	Are such side effects permanent or temporary?	Yes   No
27.	What are the costs for treatment?	Yes   No
28.	What is the length of treatment?	Yes   No
29.	How will missed appointments be billed.
30.	Will I have access to my medical file upon request?
31.	Will you coordinate my care with other doctors?	Yes   No
32.	Will I be given periodic progress reports, and detailed cost statements?	Yes   No
33.	Will the treatment be adjusted to reflect progress and / or setbacks
34.	Will you develop a discharge plan to ensure appropriate community re-integration after I leave your care?	Yes   No
35.	How do you choose the other programs, agencies or individuals to whom you refer patients?
36.	How will you preserve the confidentially of communication between us?
37.	Under what circumstances is specific patient information released?
	Sensibilities & General Impressions
1.	Demeanor, attitude, appearance of doctor and staff?
2.	Are the buildings and grounds suitable to the nature of the services   provided to the patients served?	Yes   No
3.	Office decor, lighting, atmosphere?
4.	Timely service, friendly, helpful staff	Yes   No
5.	Did doctor & staff seem knowledgeable about your condition?	Yes   No
6.	Does s/he have trial or personal injury claims resolution experience?  With what success?	Yes   No
7.	Willingness and /or qualifications to testify for you?	Yes   No
8.	Did s/he seem to care about you as a person?	Yes   No
9.	Were your questions answered to your satisfaction?	Yes   No
10.	Were answers provided in terms that you understood?	Yes   No
11.	Were billing cycles or payment plans discussed with you?	Yes   No