Choosing Your Eye Doctor: 13 Questions You Must Ask When Searching

When picking the individual doctor you wish to have for your vision problem, how do you know whether you've got the right person? This can be a tough decision. There are as many different types of individual doctors as there are types of people. One of the best sources of good doctors is word of mouth. If you have a friend who wears glasses or contacts, and has been with a good doctor for several years, there's a good chance that this doctor will be good for you too.

When looking for a doctor, don't bypass an experienced practitioner for a young professional fresh out of school. Although recent graduates may possess the latest technical knowledge, there's something to be said for experience in any field. And, some new doctors are so cautious that they may keep you in the chair for hours doing every test in the book instead of just the ones related to your problem.

To avoid the high costs of setting up offices of their own, new graduates of optometry school sometimes begin their practices in chain-store operations, which are usually located in shopping malls. In these kinds of stores, you may find young doctors with good technical knowledge but little time to apply it because of the large numbers of patients the stores book into each time slot. These young doctors often don't stay around for very long - usually just long enough to get on their feet financially - so if you frequent these stores for your eye care, there is little chance that you'll see one doctor more than one time.

On the other hand, you should also be cautious of older doctors who have been in the same location since prehistoric times. If they have been keeping up with the advancements in eye-care technology and knowledge, they are perfectly fine doctors to see, but things change fast and not everyone keeps up. Since all states require continuing education as part of the relicensing process for optometrists, checking to make sure that your doctor has a valid license should give you some comfort that he or she has kept abreast of at least the most important developments in the field.

To become familiar with the doctors on your list of possibilities and to make an intelligent choice from among them, you should inquire about their educational and professional backgrounds. You could ask each doctor for a resume and any office promotional materials. Here are a few questions to ask their receptionists when telephoning their offices for the first time:

1. How long has the doctor been in practice?

2. How long does the examination take?

3. Will your eyes be dilated for the examination?

4. How much does the examination cost?

5. Does the doctor specialize in (or have experience with) the particular condition or service you are interested in?

6. Will a case history be taken? (Be sure the doctor sits down and talks about your problems, medical history, medications, and lifestyle.)

7. How extensive is the examination form? (Although the form will probably look mysterious, see how big it is and how much of it should be filled out by the end of the examination. Be suspicious of an examination form that's the size of an index card.)

8. Is a full range of distance and near-vision tests included in the examination?

9. Is a glaucoma test a regular part of the examination?

10. Does the doctor work with a number of different contact lens companies? (If you want contact lenses, it's important to have a doctor who is not tied to one manufacturer. There are many different kinds of contacts available now.)

11. Will the doctor describe the different tests while performing them?

12. Does the doctor offer treatment alternatives (for example, contact lenses, glasses, or vision therapy) according to the patient's preferences?

13. Does the doctor regularly refer patients to other doctors when appropriate or necessary?

Much of what you determine about a doctor will be based on just plain old gut feelings about the office in general. If you feel you aren't getting high-quality, personalized service from your eye doctor, you may want to go elsewhere. Sometimes it takes a little faith and trust to find a good eye-care professional. A good doc is hard to find, but once you find one, stay with him or her, and appreciate the good vision care.