Eye health is an important aspect of overall health and choosing an eye doctor should be carefully considered. Your eyes help you see the world but can also determine the state of your health and because your eye health can help to detect other health conditions before they advance to later stages, eye doctors recommend that you go for an annual eye exam if you want to be in control of your overall health.
However, with so many eye health professionals out there, it can be very difficult to choose one to care for your eyes. Here’s the ultimate guide to finding the best eye doctor.
Ask friends and loved ones
This is perhaps the first and easiest place to start. Whether you are looking for an optometrist or an ophthalmologist, ask a friend to refer you to the best eye doctor who has cared for their eyes in the past. You can also ask colleagues who wear prescription glasses where they go to for their eye checkup and treatment. You can also ask your general physician about the best eye doctor near you so you can schedule a meeting. Find out how you can schedule an eye exam at Greenlake Eye Care Center.
Research their credentials
Once you’ve had a list of a few potential candidates, it’s time to research their credentials. Optometrists must undergo specialized training to acquire the right skills to enable them to treat a wide range of vision issues and eye problems. If you’ve established that they have a Doctor of Optometry degree, it is time to check whether they have any history of malpractice claims or have faced disciplinary action. Once you’ve determined that they have a clean record, you can consider adding them to your list of potential candidates.
Look at their experience
Credentials alone are not enough to establish whether they are good eye doctors; you need to consider their experience as well. The more experience an eye doctor has with a procedure or disease, the better your outcomes are likely to be. If you have a given condition or want to undergo a specific procedure, find an eye doctor who has experience handling conditions such as yours or have performed many such procedures successfully. You want to go to an eye doctor who has performed several procedures relating to your eye condition. Finding out about the success rates or complications encountered by the optometrist can also help you assess your own risk of complications.
Know what your insurance covers and check their insurance policy
Some insurance policies do not cover vision issues whereas others cover medical eye exams but not regular annual eye exams. Similarly, some eye doctors do not accept certain insurance providers. So, to have the best experience, know what your insurance covers and ask your eye doctor whether they accept your insurance provider.
Evaluate communication style
You need to work with an eye doctor who understands your vision needs and satisfies your curiosity when you ask questions regarding your vision health. If they respond in a friendly manner and really want to help you meet your eye health needs, then they are better suited.
Therefore, this is the ultimate guide to finding the best eye doctor and you can use it to select your potential optometrist. You can begin by asking friends for their recommendations before scrutinizing the potential candidates and making your choice.