As we age, regular doctor's visits become increasingly important. However, it's often difficult to find a doctor nearby who can offer an appointment quickly and with whom you feel comfortable. Here you can read about the best way to find a doctor.
Medical Association
Ideally, your first point of contact when looking for a doctor should be the medical association or statutory health insurance association in your region. Most German states already offer an online doctor search, and you can also take advantage of telephone consultations. These associations provide reliable information about a doctor's professional qualifications and other details such as office hours, quality-assured additional services, and other doctors practicing at the same facility. This gives you an overview of all suitable doctors in your area.
Doctor rating portals
Often, however, knowing a doctor's professional qualifications isn't enough. You're probably much more interested in how they interact with their patients and whether they can actually apply what they learned during their training. You can find this kind of information on doctor review portals. Well-known examples include Jameda and Arzt-Auskunft.de. Using the search function, you'll be shown the top-rated doctors in your area. You can also search for a specific doctor and read their reviews.
Especially in smaller towns, doctors often haven't accumulated many reviews yet. In these cases, it's advisable to read the reviews carefully and not rely solely on the star ratings or grades. Keep in mind that it's often the patients who have had a negative experience who feel the need to review a doctor. Satisfied patients, on the other hand, often don't even think to use a review portal. Conversely, it's also possible that particularly positive reviews come from the doctor themselves. So pay attention to how realistic a review sounds.
Recommendations from your family doctor
If you're looking for a specialist and already have a trusted general practitioner, it can't hurt to follow their recommendation. In many cases, a referral from your GP is also a prerequisite for getting an appointment with a specialist. Of course, you can also find information about suitable doctors in your area beforehand through the medical association or review portals and specifically ask for a referral to these doctors. Conversely, you can also check your GP's recommendation on a review portal to see what other patients think of that doctor.
Is medical care in your area poor, and are you therefore considering moving and selling your property? We would be happy to advise you on your options.