Understanding Your Disease Credentials have been set by nationally recognized medical professional organizations to verify that doctors and hospitals meet certain standards in health care delivery. Doctors Board certification, or the international equivalent, is a sign that doctors are highly trained in their fields. Doctors who specialize, such as neurologists and neurosurgeons, should be board certified in the specialty in which they are practicing. Each specialty has a national board that is responsible for setting standards doctors must meet in order to be certified. Doctors who are board certified in their specialties have completed the amount of training that the specialty board requires, have practiced for a specified number of years in that specialty and have passed a difficult examination in their specialty areas.
Board certification is generally a good indicator of competence and experience.
Although accreditation is voluntary, most hospitals go through the process. If the hospital that you are considering is not accredited, it is important to know why. Some of the best hospitals are often in the public spotlight for their medical advances and the quality of their care. Neurologic care at the Cleveland Clinic has been consistently rated among the nation's top 10 every year. The awards are based on HCIA data, one of the nations leading providers of health care information, and America's Health Network, a 24-hour cable station and Web site.