Reasons to visit U.S. News & World Report's "Top Doctors"

If you've been reading this blog for long, you are probably aware of my skepticism about health care rankings in general, whether these rankings are of hospitals, medical schools, or doctors. Staying true to form, I would advise you to take with a grain of salt U.S. News & World Report's just-released Top Doctors, which purports to identify the top primary care and specialist physicians across the U.S., based on a peer nomination process.

Still, it's well worth visiting the Top Doctors page to read some excellent patient-oriented pieces on "How to Find the Right Doctor," "How to Maximize a Doctor Visit," and "9 Signs You Should Fire Your Doctor," which include advice from me as well as prominent health experts such as Dr. Carolyn Clancy, my former boss at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Finally, you can also check out my latest Healthcare Headaches blog post on "Decoding Doctor-Speak: Translations of Common Medical Terms."