Specialist doctors are general physicians who major in a certain field of study post their residency. Doctors who study digestive disorders and common diseases linked to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are stomach specialists, also known as gastroenterologists. They primarily diagnose and treat issues with the GI tract and surrounding organs. Below are some helpful tips for searching and narrowing down the best stomach specialist doctors in an area and learning more about their practice.

Narrow down the type of stomach specialist
A specialist’s practice will vary according to the age group they treat. For example, infants and young children should only be referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist qualified to handle these cases. Whereas, adults and seniors can consult with general physicians who primarily have a certification to practice as a gastroenterologist. In either case, doctors must complete three years of residency before choosing a specialization. After three additional years of study, doctors are awarded a board certification to start their practice as a GI Specialist.

Check with friends and family
Friends and family members can provide good referrals and even suggest the best clinics, hospitals, or private practitioners employing stomach specialists. Gastroenterologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive distress ranging from basic abdominal pain, bloating, and cramps to serious disorders like Crohn’s disease or inflammatory bowel disorders. If someone in your circle has been consulting with a specialist for any condition, ask for a referral. Friends and family members will also provide honest referrals and can help redirect queries to trusted doctors.

Verify all credentials
Practicing doctors need to have a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and must also specialize in the field of digestive disorders or gastroenterology to practice as a gastroenterologist. Some doctors further study to become a surgeon for treating such disorders. It’s imperative to check and verify all available credentials before booking for a consultation. The information is usually available from the clinics and hospitals covered under healthcare policies. Also, these details can be found listed with major insurance providers. Alternatively, state websites that list the details of practicing doctors in every field of healthcare publish this information online. Patients can verify credentials and check a detailed practice history.

Get comfortable with the doctor’s style
Doctors follow a general guideline for diagnosis and treatment. But every doctor will have a different approach depending on the type of care they train to provide on a daily basis. During the initial consultation, it is necessary to establish a rapport with the professional. Communication is key to receiving the best options available for treatment. Is the doctor answering all queries? Is the practicing professional explaining what needs to be done in layperson terms? Does the doctor take into consideration personal preferences? And are they willing to accommodate these factors to suggest suitable alternatives to available treatments? If the answer to most of these questions is a resounding yes, then book an appointment without any hesitation.

Consider doctors on the insurance network
Most major health insurance providers work with a select network of individual practitioners, healthcare clinics, and hospitals. It’s always better to find practitioners who are covered under insurance so very little is left to pay out of pocket. Common digestive disorders diagnosis and treatments are covered under these policies. In fact, some insurance companies even provide for the cost of prescriptions that are not covered by Medicare coverage. Book an appointment only after confirming with the doctor’s office to see if the treatments are covered under insurance.

Note that basic research about available doctors in the neighborhood can be done online. Simple search tags like locate ‘stomach specialist clinic near me’ will fetch the most relevant results for this query. It’s always a good idea to compare the top results with referrals and verify all details online.