Why Docfinder? (Sean’s story)
As a doctor in a public hospital, I was always aware that accessing medical services in a timely manner could be difficult. Sometimes though, personal experience can really make the difficulties hit home.
One evening I had to take my seven year old daughter to the emergency department with pain in her stomach. I was worried that she had appendicitis. The emergency doctor who saw her agreed. This meant she needed an operation.
My family had private health insurance. This meant we had a choice of surgeon. But which surgeon did we want to operate on our daughter?
I had only recently moved to the area, so was not familiar with the surgeons locally. Some of them were already busy with other patients. I wanted my daughter to have her surgery somewhere close to where I lived, but not all surgeons operated in hospitals close to my home. I wanted someone who was good. There was pressure to decide soon, because the longer we waited, the greater the chance of complications.
What did I do – I asked a friend to recommend someone. I work within the medical system and the experience was hard for me. It struck me that it must be even more difficult for those without a medical background.
- How do you choose the best doctor for you?
- How do you find someone who you can trust?
- How do you find a doctor who can see you when you need to be seen?
- How do you find someone close to where you live?
- What do you do if you move and need to find a new doctor?
This is why I decided to build Docfinder, to answer these questions and make access to the medical profession easier for the general public. Please let us know how we can improve our services.
Dr Sean Clark, Docfinder founder
