10 best ways to get best medical treatment.

• Write down your problems in order of severity and duration.
• Choose the best doctor and have faith in him.
• Be precise in describing your problem and get the doctors impression of your possible diagnosis.
• Get the list of investigations that are necessary and list of places where to get done.
• Discuss the treatment options.
• Search the web or library about your problem and learn more.
• If interventions are needed, find out who is best in that field around you and who can give personal attention.
• If it is difficult to get him choose the next best.
• Discuss about the procedure, complications, charges, success rates, and his personal experience.
• Have adequate insurance cover.

Choosing a good doctor
It is extremely difficult to choose a good doctor. The public impression is that a neatly dressed one, a good looking, sweetly speaking doctor is a good doctor. But in reality the knowledge, skill, genuine interest in healing may not match the outward expression. An outwardly smart looking doctor with best skill, knowledge and good interest in patients outshines. When you choose a doctor, go by his qualification, experience, attitude and treatment records. Assess his genuine interest. Don't have to hurry for treatment if not an emergency. Ask him about your problem, treatment options, expense involved and whether there are any methods to reduce your expense. A reasonable doctor would never deprive you from the adequate information. Whenever a surgery is involved ask for previous surgery out comes, patient references and counter check them.. Whenever a intervention is needed find out how urgent it is and on what basis. Enquire among the medical professional who is best in that field. Who is the next choice. And also enquire among your friends and relatives.

Cut or commission practice in medicine
Cut pratice or commission practice in medical profession has been there since years. This is no doubt due to craving for earning more money. What is changing recently is the percentage is on the rise, the number of persons giving / taking cut or commission has increased also becoming more and more unethical. I shall touch upon what do I mean by unethical or ethical cut practice in my future postings. Partly it is due to changing technology, newer medical gadgets along with changing life style. The commission is given for minor tests like urine test, consultation to newer high cost investigations and interventional procedures.

Many times unnecessary investigations and procedures are done purely for monetary gains both to the performing person and referring doctor. The patients need to know about this and be diligent. It is not possible to guess who is or who is not in to it. It is so rampant that the commission is in fact paid in advance to the referring persons in lump some. The superspecialists and consultants also take commission. The percentage of people who are not into it may be less than 5-10%. The person however skilled or knowledged he may be will be avoided by the referring doctors if he does not "entertain" them. Some doctors maintain a clean note book indicating the name of the patient, amount due, from which doctor / lab etc. Now patients in private practice may not be able to avoid this , at the most can hope that only indicated procedures or investigations are done by a relatively competent person