Top Docs 2008: The Enlightened Patient

Consider your brain. Of the body's two dozen major organs, it's the only one burdened with the complaints of all the rest, not to mention some 206 bones and 600-plus muscles. And when something actually goes wrong with any of the aforementioned, it's up to that same brain to kick into high gear and decide where to go, who to see, what to ask. So give it something to work with. We've culled ideas from local doctors, hospital execs, insurance experts, and consumer watchdogs for finding first-rate healthcare resources, including our annual Top Doctors list), along with tips on making the most of them. Just open up and say, "Aha!" 

Part I: Who to See
In a town where you can't swing a blood pressure cuff without hitting a world-renowned specialist or U.S. News–touted medical center, there are plenty of good healthcare choices to make. The key is making a great one.

• ...And How M.D.s Get Graded

• The case for community hospitals
Why the beyond-city-limits lifesavers may be right for you. 

• Where to Get...
A great doctor's recommendation after you've looked everywhere else.

• About Our Top Doctors List

Part II: What to Know
Vast online resources make learning about your health, or your illness, easier than ever. Just make sure you know where your newfound savvy ends, and your doctor's expertise begins.

• On-Site Consults
Local M.D.s give their opinion on five popular health-information websites.

• Boost Your Testing I.Q.
Before you schedule that screening, make sure it's one you really need.

• "I've Got What?"
Boston's in-house hypochondriac, Francis Storrs, takes a break from palpating his neck glands to test-drive three automated diagnosis dispensers.

• Web Exclusive: Patients Like You
How one Massachusetts woman is connecting with people worldwide with unique expertise in her illness.

• Web Exclusive: A Blogosphere Check-up
New England's leading online scribe, Dr. Kevin Pho, tags some of his favorite medical blogs.

• Where to Get…
Research help in the bricks-and-mortar world.

Part III: Why to Speak Up
Doctors and nurses can't read your mind. So to make the most of that office visit or hospital stay, get things off your chest—you'll feel better.

• Inpatient Vitals
First time in the hospital? We'll get you prepped. What you need to know about hospital infections. Ticking off the checklist with help from Maureen Spencer, infection control manager at New England Baptist Hospital.

• Meet the Surgeon (Really, They're Not That Scary)
Tufts's chief of surgery Bill Mackey opens up.

• The R.N. Weighs in
What three decades on duty have taught the Boston Medical Center's Nancy Figueiredo.

• Role Call
To better communicate with your doctor, it helps to figure out what kind you've got.

• Where to Get…
Medical help on your own schedule.

Part IV: How to Fight Back
When complications arise—be they issues with your bill, or tensions with your M.D.—here's how to make a smart recovery.

• Give It to Us Straight
Dr. Jerome Groopman, author of How Doctors Think, on three potentially tricky patient initiatives.

• You've Got Their Number
A consumer avenger puts health insurers' call-in lines to the test. Plus, want to talk to an operator—now? Healthcare-related phone hacks, courtesy of GetHuman's relentless redialers.

• Protective Measures
When it comes to managing your health insurance information, diligence is the best policy.

• Where to Get…
A hired gun for your healthcare battles.

Part V: Advice from Top M.D.s

• On talking to doctors

• On choosing a doctor or hospital

• On being your own advocate

• On being prepared

• On kids' healthcare

Part VI: Top Doctors 2008

The List: Our searchable database of the region's best physicians