3 things to look for in a Functional Medicine Doctor…

As functional medicine grows in popularity more and more people are looking for functional medicine doctors in their area. Maybe you

live in Orland Park or St. Charles or another city or town around Chicago. If you have been doing online searches, you have probably noticed that you have several different clinics to choose from.

It can be difficulty to make a decision based on a website, so I have listed a few things to consider when choosing a functional medicine doctor.

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Look at their Google reviews.

This can give you an idea of what some of their patients have to say about the doctor and the clinic. The number of reviews is important as well as content of the reviews. It is also good to look at any reviews that are not positive. This can help you get a better understanding of what some people didn’t like about the office. As we all know with reviews, sometimes they are completely “out there” and really have nothing to do with a real patient-clinic experience. So, look at the good and the bad reviews.

What is the doctor like?

What is the doctor saying? Are they writing blogs or making videos? If they don’t post anything then it can be difficult to “get a feel” for the doctor and their  office. What do they think about various health conditions? How do they treat? What is their personality like? You want to work with someone who instills confidence and competence. Now of course you can’t be 100% sure until you actually meet them, but what they have to say and post on their sites can be a good place to start.

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Are they transparent?

Can you find clear information about their office policies? Do they accept insurance? What are their hours of operation? What kind of health conditions do they work with? Do they work with children? You want to make an informed decision when selecting a healthcare provider. Key points of information like this should be made readily available on the site. I don’t think it is possible to answer every question someone might have on a website, but some of these points should be addressed. I also suggest you talk to someone at the office. This conversation serves two purposes. 1. You will get the information you need to make a decision. 2. You will get a sense of what the people working at the office are like…this can help you make an informed decision before making an appointment at an office. If the person answering the phone is rude and disorganized or if it takes them a long time to get back to you these are not good signs. Do they have a patient advocate or functional medicine consultant you can speak with? Does this person answer your questions and appear competent?

Don’t dismiss the “signs” of a poorly run office. Get the information you need, read the “signs” and go with your gut. Then make a decision and go with it.

I hope this information makes your decision-making process easier. The doctor-patient relationship has a lot to do with treatment outcomes. Take some time to do your homework; then make a decision, move forward and get the help you are looking for.

Are you looking for a functional medicine doctor in Orland Park, Mokena, St. Charles or any other surrounding areas?  We can help!

The purpose of functional medicine is:

Understanding health problems, knowing how and where to investigate, understanding what to look for, understanding what is found and creating a plan of action to correct the root cause of the health problem.

This is what I do, this is what I love, this is functional medicine, this is why Naperville Integrated Wellness exists. 

I hope you have found value in this information.

I wish you health, happiness and a better quality of life!

If you would like more information about functional medicine and integrative medicine or Dr. Sexton go to napervilleintegratedwellness.com

Do your own research, inform yourself and ask lots of questions. When collecting information, you MUST consider the source. There is no shortage of false, misleading, outdated, profit-driven and utterly biased information in healthcare today; even from the most respected sources and organizations.

This approach to healthcare is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. Why? The FDA enforces its position that these words can only be used with drugs. This approach does not use drugs.