Before one decides to undergo a certain treatment, it is crucial that one ensures the credibility of the potential healthcare provider.

 

Here are 5 helpful tips on how to do the due diligence with healthcare providers: 

 

1. How many years of academic learning did they have, before achieving their certification?  

 

Different professions and modalities have different requirements. A graduate and a postgraduate course will have different durations, with the graduate course usually being longer than the latter. 

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   2. Did they undergo internship or apprenticeship of any kind? And how long was that? 

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Adequate reading and practical training are both very important factors to master a skill/technique for any profession. Would you dare to jump into the ocean just from reading everything you can about swimming, but without any practical lesson? Mastering different skills and techniques require different durations, but on average for a graduate course, it will take about 1-4 accumulated years of internship, while a postgraduate course may take just a few hours to accumulated days. 

 

   3. Are they a part of any regulated board or organisation? 

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Almost every healthcare board and organisation have ethical and professional rules for their members to adhere to. Usually members will proudly display their affiliation(s) in the clinic, which is an easy indication of their credibility.  

 

  4. Are they current and relevant? When was the last time they went for their continuous education or took part in conferences and seminars?  

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It is very common for healthcare to obsolete and update certain practices, which a reliable and well-informed healthcare provider will be up to speed on.  

 

    5. Have they contributed or published anything? 

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Though it is not an essential requirement to be a healthcare professional, being an active contributor or publisher shows that the individual is proactive in research and refining his practice. This may set him/her apart from the rest of the industry as a better professional. 

 

As every modality and specialty have different standards, it is wise to do one's own research on the industry's average standards and guidelines. Following these tips may help one avoid wasting time, money and sometimes prevent potential malpractice that can cause unnecessary harm instead of the expected good.