Check Out Your Doctor
April 28, 2008

by Staff, Health Information Center, Mid-Manhattan Library

A Guide to Finding Reliable Background Information for Physicians  

   

AN INTRODUCTION  

The process of finding information about a physician can seem a daunting task at first but is made easier if you keep a few key facts in mind.  

  • There is no federal requirement stating how much information about a physician is to be made available to the public  
  • Each State sets its own standard for the amount of information that can be obtained by the public about a physician.
  • New York  State   currently requires physicians to make information about themselves available to the public in three areas:
    • Information about the doctor’s medical education  
    • Information about translation services at the doctor’s office
    • Information about legal actions taken against the doctor

INFORMATION BY STATE  

Medical Directory of New York  State(610.6952 M)  

This book contains background information on physicians practicing in New York  Stateand is updated every 2 years. 


New York  State    Physician Profile

www.nydoctorprofile.com  

Website created by New York  State that profiles all licensed doctors of medicine who are registered to practice medicine in New York  State.  You can search by physician name, field of medicine and hospital affiliation.  


Professional Misconduct and Physician Discipline

www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/opmc/main.htm  

Website created by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) for the State of New York.  It is a searchable database of physicians who have been disciplined since 1990.  

 

Credential Verification by State                                    

www.noah-health.org/en/usmd/state.html  

Listing of web links to all 50 States’ physician credential websites put together by New York Online Access to Health (NOAH).  The amount of information available varies due to each individual States’ requirements. 

 

INFORMATION NATIONWIDE  

 

Directory of Physicians in the United States(610.2573 D)  

Published by the American Medical Association (AMA) this book contains information on physicians practicing in the United States.  

 

The Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists (610.2573 O)  

This book lists physicians practicing in the United States that have a certified medical specialty from their respective medical board.  Entries are listed by specialty and geographical area.  

 

AMA DoctorFinder               

http://webapps.ama-assn.org/doctorfinder/home.html  

Website created by the American Medical Association that provides basic professional information on physicians in the United States.  

 

Is Your Doctor Certified?  

https://www.abms.org/WC/login.aspx  

Website verification service for Board certified physicians from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Site requires registration to search, but it is free.  

 

PHYSICIAN ORGANIZATIONS  

   

Physician Organizations can be a good way to find physicians with specific specialties and areas of expertise.  Physician organizations often don’t give background information but do list contact information for member physicians.  

 

Medical and Health Information Directory (362.1025 M)  

This book contains national contact information for physician organizations, support groups, non-profit organizations and more.  

 

MedlinePlus Directories             

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/directories.html  

This website provides links to physician organizations many with listings of member physicians and contact information.  

Need More Help?  

Contact the Health  Information  Centeror consult our webpage at www.nypl.org/health/  

Mid-Manhattan Library

Health  Information  Center      

455 Fifth Avenueat 40th Street

Second Floor  

New York  , NY  10016      

(212) 340-0883