About Medical Specialties @ American Board of Medical Specialties
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a premiere provider of information and tools related to the certification of physician specialists. ABMS board certification data is considered the "gold standard" for its credibility and quality. In their Consumer section, you can find information about the importance of board certification, which specialties are board certified, and search their certification verification database free of charge, though you will first need to register. You can also call 1-866-ASK-ABMS (275-2267) to be provided with certification verification. However, the agents at this number cannot provide you with detailed biographical or residency training information, help you locate a physician or register complaints against a physician. The ABMS offers books, articles and other health-related materials pertaining to specialty medicine and certification. In the Booklets and Brochures section, the ABMS Guide to Physician Specialties can be purchased for $5. A free seven-page preview of the guide's table of contents is also available here. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which you can download free of charge, to view this preview.
Board Certification Look-Up @ American Board of Medical Specialties
Certification by an American Board of Medical Specialties Member Board shows that a physician has met certain education and training requirements and has passed a specialty examination. The American Board of Medical Specialties maintains an online database of board-certified specialists and subspecialists, including medical oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, hematologists, pediatricians, anesthesiologists, and others. After registering, which is free and requires only an e-mail address and your first and last names, you can search the Who's Certified database either by doctors' names or by their specialties. The database also lists doctors' educational backgrounds.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers @ National Comprehensive Cancer Network
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is a voluntary association of select centers across the United States, known for providing exceptional cancer care and conducting both clinical and basic cancer research. The NCCN Web site presents a clickable map of the United States that links to profiles of its member centers. The profiles include general information about the centers, descriptions of their areas of expertise, and links to their Web sites.
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons is comprised of members from 30 medical professional organizations who set guidelines for cancer diagnosis and care. CoC approval is given only to those facilities that have committed to providing the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment. The American College of Surgeons designated more than 1,400 programs in the United States as Approved Cancer Programs, representing approximately 25 percent of hospitals in the United States. The American Cancer Society offers a searchable database of these programs on their Web site. The Hospital Locator can assist patients with such matters as finding a nearby hospital approved by the Commission on Cancer, what specific diagnostic tests and/or types of treatment they provide, which CoC-approved hospitals offer cancer screenings, prevention programs, assistance with travel, pain control services, and more.
Guides for Choosing a Healthcare Facility @ Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
The Helping You Choose Guides, from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, include lists of questions to help you choose a hospital or other healthcare facility or service, including home and hospice care. The lists are tailored to the type of facility or service you are considering. Knowing what to look for and what to ask will help you select a facility that provides quality care and best meets your needs.
How to Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility @ National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute's fact sheet, How to Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility if You Have Cancer, offers helpful suggestions for finding: 1) an oncologist (a doctor who treats cancer), 2) a facility where cancer patients can receive treatment, and 3) a second opinion. Included is a list of questions to help you decide whether a particular doctor is appropriate for your needs. If you will need surgery, there is a list of questions to ask the surgeons you are considering for your care. A separate list of questions can help you evaluate which treatment facilities are best suited to your needs. There are resources for finding a treatment facility if you live overseas, as well as information and resources about how to get a second opinion about your diagnosis and treatment plan.
National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers @ National Cancer Institute
Certain institutions are designated "cancer centers" by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI confers this designation after a rigorous review process that focuses on the institution's research programs. Centers with particularly broad research programs are designated "comprehensive cancer centers;" others that have more focused research programs in association with clinical care services are termed "clinical" cancer centers. Institutions carrying either of these NCI designations generally have strong programs in clinical care.
The NCI Web site provides a searchable database, organized by state and U.S. territories, that returns a list of these cancer centers along with links to their Web sites and contact information for each institution. You can also view the same centers in Spanish (although there is no search functionality, the centers are organized in a list by state).
The for-profit WebMD site offers a Physician Directory that can help you find physicians, including oncologists (cancer doctors), throughout the United States. You can search the directory by physician name, location, or specialty. The specialty search allows you to find a medical, gynecologic, and/or radiation oncologist. To find a surgical oncologist, you will need to search Surgery and then determine from the results whether a particular surgeon specializes in your type of cancer. Search results provide you with a physician's name and contact information, specialty, and hospital and HMO affiliations.
You can also take advantage of WebMD Appointment Services. These are free services that allow users to request appointments with a physician online. Once you have found a doctor, select the Appointment Services link and complete the Online Appointment Request.
WebMD securely transmits your appointment request to the physician's office fax machine. You should get a call back from the physician's office in about one business day. You can print out a summary of your request with a map to the doctor's office for your records and to write down the confirmed date and time of your appointment.
Selecting an Oncologist (Cancer Doctor) @ Cancer.Net from ASCO
Cancer.Net, the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Web site for patients, provides helpful information about selecting an oncologist in one easy-to-read section. Descriptions of the different kinds of oncologists -- such as medical, surgical, and radiation -- are concise and comprehensive. You can also find information about seeking a second opinion. Finally, you may search their Find an Oncologist Database by name, organization, location, specialty, and/or board certification. Note: some oncological specialties in the database might not be familiar to patients until their specific type of cancer is diagnosed.
Status for Healthcare Facilities @ Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
The Joint Commission on Accreditation's Web site features Quality Check, which allows you to check the performance and accreditation status of a healthcare facility, whether it's a hospital, a surgery center, a nursing home, or another type of healthcare organization. You can search by the facility's name or location to see whether it is accredited. If you are searching by location, enter a zip code rather than a city for more accurate results.
Quality Check gives you information about an organization's current accreditation status, accreditation history, and its latest performance report, which shows you how it compares with other national organizations in specific performance areas. You can see what the deficiencies are, if any, and whether earlier deficiencies have been resolved.
Since cancer treatment can be complex, treatment often involves input from a multidisciplinary team. A team approach combines the skills of several different cancer doctors into one consulting group. This page on Cancer.Net's Web site provides clear, concise definitions of the types of cancer specialists that may be involved in a patient's treatment team, such as a medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, diagnostic radiologist, pathologist, oncology nurse, and oncology social workers, amongst others.
