Questions to Ask Before Choosing an Orthopedic Surgeon

Your muscles and bones are incredibly important parts of your body. Therefore, deciding on which doctor to trust is an important decision. But how can you determine a decent doctor from a great one? Primarily by making sure you ask the right questions. Here are a few questions to ask before choosing an orthopedic surgeon. 

The Right List of Things to Ask

Trusting a healthcare professional might feel daunting. Especially if you’ve been unsatisfied with your past experiences. Feel free to write down a list of questions you’d like to ask a doctor. We recommend starting with the following: 

• What kind of specialty do you need?
• What do current and former patients say about this specialist/surgeon?
• What do Google and social media reviews tell you?
• What qualifies them to have you as a patient?

Identify the Specialty You Need

You’ve established some solid recommendations from either your network or online reviews. Now, you’re ready to ask a second important question. You need to know what your prospective orthopedic surgeon specializes in. At OrthoSouth, some of our orthopedic surgeons are generalists (who treat injuries all over the body), while others are subspecialists who focus on specific areas of the body or types of injuries, including (but not limited to): 

• Elbow
• Foot & ankle
• Hip/pelvis
• Knee
• Shoulder
• And many, many more

Talk with Current or Former Patients

An orthopedic group might tell you what they want you to hear about their work. But what about the regular people who’ve been to see them? Indeed their opinions have to count for something! Satisfied customers yield income for surgeons. Since you’re the one paying for the service, your feedback matters. 

If you need help narrowing down this list, check with your primary care physician or insurance provider. Your PCP might offer you a list of recommendations, and your insurance company can help you find a surgeon covered in your network.

Look through your network and ask for personal referrals for a local orthopedic office. Chances are, someone you know can suggest a quality practice. If the same provider’s name comes up more than once, now you’ve got somewhere to start! If that doesn’t work out, try asking your network for recommendations via social media.

The Power of Google and Social Media

Speaking of social media, it can offer you input on selecting your orthopedic surgeon. Curious about a provider? Google them! Social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can give you access to customer reviews. But don’t forget about Google itself. Googling a surgeon’s name can also show you their Google reviews.

Not sure how to do that? No worries, it’s easy! Head over to Google. For our example, search for “orthosouth memphis.” Next, you’ll see the search engine results page. On the right of that page, you’ll see maps and photos of our office. Beneath that, you’ll see a row of four gray rectangle-shaped buttons:

• Website
• Directions
• Save
• Call 

Under those buttons, you’ll see a row of gold stars next to a rating. As of this blog post, OrthoSouth has a rating of 4.6 based on 194 patient reviews. Those reviews come from real, flesh-and-blood human beings just like you. That’s how you know you can trust these reviews. Want more specific reviews? Browse our testimonials section to read authentic reviews from real patients. 

Be Inquisitive about Qualifications 

Your muscles and bones are essential. So, consider the difference that makes when hunting for an orthopedic surgeon. If you were interviewing surgeons, what kind of things would you want to know? Why, their qualifications, of course! Ask your surgeon questions like: 

• Where did they go to school? 
• Where did they complete their residency? 
• How long have they been practicing? 

Once all of your questions have been answered, you will be prepared to decide which provider is best suited to your needs and preferences. If you find yourself in need of an orthopedic consult, OrthoSouth is here to serve you, whether as your starting point or, hopefully, as your provider of choice.

Visit OrthoSouth Today

What’s the next step? Go here to schedule your visit online.