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For over 10 years I have tried to help people find competent healthcare. Nothing is more frightening than facing a potential health crisis, and not knowing what to expect from your doctor. Is he/she competent? Kind and compassionate? Does he/she listen well and will he/she treat me with respect? Will I wait a long time in the office?  These are the questions other patients and medical staff can answer. While this should be easier than ever with the Internet, there is not one place where care seekers can go to find doctors and then learn what others think through the opinions of their staff and patients. Many websites offer background on MD’s such as address and education, but what about learning what others have experienced?

In his book, The Smart Patient, Dr.Oz suggests asking nurses for their opinions. After all, nurses consult doctors as patients themselves, and also see them in the “battlefield” of patient care. So as if possessed, I’ve followed my obsession to solve this problem and created two services on the web: CareSeek.com and NursesRecommendDoctors.com. Everyone, patient and caregiver alike, can share their recommendations in order to promote the best in care.  This gives patients a chance to express what “good care” means to them, thereby setting a standard for other care providers.

Furthermore, when the recommendations come from nurses, even when submitted anonymously, a powerful relationship between the doctor and nurse is affected. Suddenly the medical staff has a voice that can be heard so that they can receive the recognition and respect for their opinions that they deserve.  Now doctors will see their nurse colleagues as their ambassadors and teammates, working together to provide excellent customer communication, service and quality care.  Care seekers get the information they need to make good health choices, and they can choose their care providers with confidence.