Useful July 7, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Very good as a "picker", but a little short on Doctor's backgrounds. This may be a result of the cloak over settlements, suits, and the like, but I think an authoritative reference needs to provide a fuller picture of who the Doctor is.
An essential starting point for medical resources March 14, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
We've been faced with a couple of serious medical issues in our family, and we've use this book, among several other resources, to find and research the qualifications of experts. You should study health care providers as carefully as you would study what car to buy or what book to read -- doing so properly can literally be a case of life or death for you or a loved one. You should also check the malpractice history of any doctor you are seriously consider -- a lawyer can help research this unpleasant point.
This book remains the best single resource for finding topflight medical experts in the New York Metropolitan area. The first Comment describes how "New York Magazine" uses Castle Connolly and the materials in this book to come with its annual list of "Best Doctors". The book usually appears in March, and the magazine version usually appears in June.
The following extract describes how Castle Connolly comes up with the entries in the book:
"How does Castle Connolly decide which doctors are best? The firm conducts a peer-review survey. The theory is that medical professionals are best qualified to judge medical professionals, and if one recommendation is good (think of your doctor referring you to a specialist), multiple recommendations are better.
"To select the doctors, Castle Connolly sends out 12,000 nomination forms to medical professionals in New York City, Westchester County, Rockland County, Long Island, and portions of New Jersey and Connecticut. The recipients include randomly selected board-certified doctors; all doctors listed in the previous edition of Castle Connolly's annual guidebook; and, from every hospital in the area, the president or CEO, the vice-president of medicine, and up to eight chiefs of service in departments from surgery to pediatrics.
"The forms ask recipients to nominate those doctors who, in their judgment, are the best in their field and related fields-especially those to whom they would refer their own patients and family members (doctors can't nominate themselves; nominations are kept confidential). Castle Connolly asks the nominators to take into account not only professional qualifications and reputation (education, residency, board certification, hospital appointment, and disciplinary record, for example) but also skills in dealing with patients (listening and communicating effectively, demonstrating empathy, instilling trust and confidence). The Castle Connolly staff then tabulates the results and vets the nominee pool, confirming the doctors' board certification and licensing and investigating their disciplinary history."
In case of need, this is an essential starting point for finding expert medical help. It's only a starting point -- further research is essential.
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