My cousin H asked me the other day if I had found a new doctor yet. No, I told her I hadn't made any calls yet. I feel sort of weird about doctor hopping, but that's the way it has to be. 

I've never been in this situation before, so it's no wonder that I didn't think of making an "interview appointment" sooner. We interviewed pediatricians when I was pregnant with No. 1, so it makes sense that you should be able to do it with physicians in other areas. I did at one point consider calling offices and asking to talk to the office manager or main nurse, but I really wasn't sure I'd get the answers I was looking for. Actually, I'm not sure the doctor will be able to answer all these questions, but someone in the office should be able to.

I stumbled on a Web site the other day that encourages patients to set up interview appointments. So I've designed a list of questions that I hope will help me make the right choice. Many of these are reflective of Dr. C's practice, some to eliminate practices like Dr. S and others I found online.

1. Is there an on-site lab?
2. How long will it take to get blood test results?
3. Will you or a diabetes educator or a nurse practitioner communicate with me on a bi-weekly basis via email and CareLink to make small tweaks to my basal rates and insulin:carb ratios?
4. Do you have any requirements for new patients? If so, what are they?
5. What is the typical wait time in the waiting room? In the patient room prior to seeing the doctor?
6. What is your patient management philosophy?
7. How long is the wait to schedule an appointment?
8. If I call with a question, who will get back to me and when?
9. How much time do you spend with each patient at each appointment?
10. Who is the typical diabetes patient in your practice? Age? Type of diabetes?
11. How many patients do you have who use a pump?
12. Are you fluent with pump therapy?

What questions would you add to this list if you were on the hunt for a new doctor?