What to Look For in an ENT Doctor

Finding the Best Solution in Your Area

First, what’s an ENT? ENT stands for “Ears, Nose, and Throat”. The term “ENT doctor” pertains to what an otolaryngologist does. Essentially, they provide options in terms of surgery, therapy, and diagnoses as regards many issues of the head, particularly those involved with sinuses.

Not all ENTs are going to be the same. If you’re going to find the best option for you, or for your family, it pays to do a little research. Following we’ll briefly explore several things you can look for to determine if you’ve found the best ENT.

 

Look For an ENT That’s Proximal to Where You Are

First things first: what ENT options are near where you live? The best ENT in the world won’t do you any good if their office happens to be located somewhere in the vicinity of the arctic circle. Granted, most ENTs won’t be located so far from where you are. You should be able to find half a dozen within a quarter hour’s drive. Use proximity to help narrow things down.

 

Explore Their Pricing Structure

Get an idea how much it costs to have an appointment, and what the ENT charges for varying services. You can usually find this information on their website. If you can’t, call the office. If you have insurance that will cover most of the cost, that’s good; but be aware what your co-pay is before you find yourself in an embarrassing situation at the office itself.

 

Look Into Reviews & Testimonials

What are other people saying? Do they love the ENT you’re considering, or are they skeptical? Don’t just go by the number of stars in the review. Look at the actual reviews. Some may be fake. If you see a thousand five-star reviews that are generic, that’s probably not legitimate. If you see a thousand generic negative interviews, the same is true.

You’re looking for a number that appears to be an aggregate average, meaning it won’t be a neat, round number. Instead of having 4 out of 5 stars, the right ENT will have something like 4.897891 out of 5 stars. For more background, here’s an article about how to spot a fake review.

 

An ENT That Will Fulfill Your Needs

Finding the best ENT doctor can be a difficult proposition, but if you follow the tips outlined here, you should be able to secure the sort of support you need in this area of healthcare. Consider reviews and testimonials; read them carefully to assure they’re legitimate. Explore the pricing structure of the ENT you’re thinking about, and know your insurance thresholds.

Lastly, try to find an ENT that won’t require you to travel halfway across town or the state where you live. A final note might be seeing who is referred by other local practitioners, but you’ve got to be careful with that, as they have a built-in prerogative to send their friends work, and vice versa. Location, pricing, and community regard are fine ways to judge an ENT.