Choosing the right cancer treatment center for your situation can accelerate your healing. Even if a center is close to your home it may not be the best choice for you based on a series of factors. Some hospitals may not specialize in treating your type of cancer and treatment centers may be too far from your home to be a convenient choice. If you’re ready and willing to roll up your sleeves to do strict due diligence you ‘re likely to find the perfect match.
Use these 3 tips to choose a cancer research center.
Ask for Referrals
If you can find recommendations you’ll be more likely to trust a cancer treatment center. Ask for recommendations from friends, family members and medical professionals to find a good match. Inquiring into experiences helps you better understand the type of center you’re dealing with. When suffering through the shocking experience of being diagnosed with cancer you want to know from friends and family that a treatment center’s staff is caring and compassionate in dealing with patients. Check with your health care provider to assess the reputation of the center. Make sure the center is well known for treating your form of cancer. For example, make sure you have access to treatment options for head and neck cancer if you’ve been diagnosed with this type of cancer.
Proximity Issues
If you’re suffering through treatment or are having a bad day you won’t want to drive for 90 minutes just to see your doctor. Make sure the treatment center is within a close proximity to your home. Ideally, you would like facilities to be no farther than 10 or 20 minutes from your house in the case of emergencies but if you can find a center within a 30 minute drive from your home you may have a match. Some patients may want to pick a center in a different region to minimize distractions. If that’s the case, and if you have the financial means necessary to make this decision, feel free to pick a facility far away from home. If this isn’t an option start by researching spots close to home. Friends and family may drive you to and from treatments from time to time so keep convenience in mind. Even when you’re doing the driving you want to minimize time spent on the road.
Interview the Physicians
Concentrate on getting a feel for the doctors at the treatment center. Do you resonate with a doctor’s personality? Interview prospective physicians to see if you vibe. Most reputable oncologists associate with well-known treatment centers so if you’re finding most or all doctors at a facility as being skilled at both interacting with you and explaining how treatments work you’ve likely found a top rate treatment center. Patiently work through a list of physicians to speak with. Don’t be in a hurry; your life is on the line and if a doctor is truly compassionate and caring they’ll be more than happy to sit with you for a bit to answer your questions.
