When choosing a medical professional in New Mexico, you may wonder about his or her past. Knowing that your doctor got the proper training and holds a license is only part of the story. It is essential that you ensure any doctor providing you care is trustworthy, ethical and competent at his or her job. The only to find that out is talking to other patients, which is very difficult due to privacy laws, or checking into the doctor’s malpractice history. Is that even an option, though?
Forbes explains that you can check a doctor’s malpractice history because the information is part of the public record. Once you file a lawsuit, it is available information to the public. So, you can do it, but how hard is it?
You probably know that getting any information from the court is often difficult. They may not have updated systems that will give you the complete picture. Luckily, you have other options for getting the information.
Your first stop should be with the state medical board. From this entity, you can learn a lot of information that is tied to the doctor’s license. This includes any discipline history. The best part is that you can usually do this all online.
You should also do a general internet search. Enter your doctor’s name and search for news articles or other information that may come up from court records. This can provide you with a lot of information. You may even find reviews from former patients.
Doing a good background check on your doctor can help you to avoid choosing one who is not very good at his or her job and who could end up harming you. This information is for education and is not legal advice.