The Friends of AIDS Foundation/Topics/Choosing a Doctor

CHOOSING A DOCTOR

Treating HIV disease is very complicated. There are choices to consider at many stages of the disease.
It's best if you and your health care provider work together as a team. That makes it easier to choose
and stick to your treatment plan. There are several issues you may want to consider in choosing an
HIV care provider. You might decide to have them be your "regular doctor" for all of your health issues.
You might use a different care provider for most health issues and use your HIV provider as a
specialist. If your regular provider isn't an HIV specialist, be sure they regularly get expert advice on
HIV issues.

Training and Experience
Many people with HIV/AIDS get their care from physicians who are specialists in infectious diseases.
However, especially now that people are living longer with HIV, it's important to deal with all of your
health issues. You might prefer to have a family practitioner or a specialist in internal medicine as your
primary physician. No matter what their specialty, you will get better HIV care from providers who have
experience treating people at all stages of HIV disease. Be sure to ask how many patients with HIV
they have treated, and how many they currently see. HIV patients do better when their physicians
have more experience treating HIV disease.

Do You Have Similar Ideas About Treating HIV?
Some providers are conservative. They prefer "tried and true" methods. Others are more aggressive.
They are willing to try new and experimental treatments. Some are optimistic by nature, and focus on
the hopeful or positive side when they talk about test results or future prospects. Others are more
realistic. Some are pessimistic. Some providers are comfortable suggesting "complementary and
alternative" therapies such as massage, acupuncture, or herbs. Others stick strictly to Western
medicine. If you want a lot of emotional support, you probably won't be comfortable with a health care
provider who only talks about test results. The more comfortable you are with their approach to HIV
treatments, the easier it will be for you to get the kind of health care you want. Talk to providers and
their patients before you make your choice.

The Provider-Patient Relationship
Many patients do better when they take an active role in planning their own health care. These
patients do a lot of reading on their own, and bring information to their providers. They work together
to make health care decisions. Other patients are more comfortable with the provider making
important decisions. Decide how you want to work with your provider. See if that fits with the way the
provider likes to work with patients.

Help Your Provider Help You
Make sure that your provider has all the information needed to give the best advice about your
treatment. This starts with your medical records, which may have to be transferred from another office.
When you start working with a new provider, they will probably do a lot of tests to collect "baseline"
information. This helps you see how well you're doing as time goes by. Be sure your provider knows
how you feel about using medications, and about your illness. Some people don't mind taking a lot of
pills. Other people would rather take as few as possible. Are you willing to change your diet, or the
amount of exercise you do? Your provider should also know about other treatments you are using or
want to try, including non-medical ones. Be honest about your lifestyle. Your eating, sleeping, and
work patterns can make a difference for your health care. So can your sexual practices and use of
recreational drugs. If your provider seems too judgmental, try to change providers. It's better to have
a provider who really knows you instead of holding back information. Let your provider know about the
important people in your life: the people who will support you if you get sick, or will help you make
important medical decisions.

Availability
The best care provider won't do you any good if you can't get in to see them. Ask them (or their
receptionist) how long it usually takes to get an appointment. Find out how well they usually stay on
schedule during the day. The type of insurance you have could limit your choice of a provider. Maybe
the provider isn't on the list for your health maintenance organization (HMO) or insurance plan. Be sure
to find out how you will be able to pay for their services. Remember, you don't need an HIV specialist
to help you with most of your health care needs. If a good HIV provider is hard to find, or if it's hard to
get an appointment, use a non-HIV care provider for your general health care. Just be sure that when
you are dealing with HIV issues, you see an experienced HIV provider, or one who consults with an
expert in HIV.

Confidentiality
Some people are very concerned about keeping their HIV status private. You might choose to get your
HIV care from a provider in another town to protect your privacy. You will need to find your own
balance between confidentiality and convenience.

Changing Providers
Your health care needs might change as time goes by. Also, your ideas about treatment could change.
Although you will probably get better medical care from a provider who has known you for a long time,
you always have the right to stop seeing one provider and change to another.

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