By Nachiket J. Patel, MD, FACC, FSCAI.
Choosing a cardiologist involves both medical and personal considerations. You want someone whose experience fits your needs, whose explanations you understand, and whose office can help you navigate appointments, testing, and follow-up.
Cardiologists work in independent practices, medical groups, academic centers, and hospital systems. Each setting offers different resources and ways of coordinating care. The most useful starting point is understanding what you need and which questions will help you make an informed choice.
Start with the reason for your visit
Are you seeking help with cardiovascular prevention, an existing heart condition, a new concern, or a recommendation about a test or procedure?
Describe that question when you contact the office. Your primary care clinician can also help identify the appropriate type of cardiovascular consultation.
Cardiology includes several areas of expertise. Some physicians focus broadly on cardiovascular evaluation and ongoing care; others have additional training in particular conditions or procedures. Ask whether the physician regularly evaluates concerns like yours and how other specialists become involved when needed.
Understand the physician’s qualifications
A physician’s background can help you understand their training and professional focus.
Medical licensure and board certification serve different purposes. A medical license authorizes a physician to practice, while board certification is a separate specialty credential. The American Board of Internal Medicine provides information about certification and a public tool for checking a physician’s certification status. Learn about ABIM certification.
Arizona’s public physician directories are available through the Arizona Medical Board for MD physicians and the Arizona Osteopathic Board for DO physicians.
Fellowship training provides additional clinical education in a specialty or subspecialty. Research, publications, teaching, and professional presentations can provide further insight into a physician’s areas of interest and experience.
Consider how that background relates to the care you are seeking.
Ask questions that help you understand the plan
A cardiology visit often brings unfamiliar terms and several possible next steps. Bringing a short list of questions can help make the conversation more useful:
- What do we know so far, and what remains uncertain?
- What question would this test help answer?
- What are the reasonable treatment options and their benefits and risks?
- How soon does a decision need to be made?
- How will we know whether the plan is helping?
Tell your physician what matters most to you, whether that is understanding symptoms, maintaining independence, returning to an activity, or weighing a treatment decision. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s patient guide offers additional suggestions for discussing options with your doctor.
Find out how follow-up works
Care also involves the steps between appointments. Useful questions for the office include:
- How will I receive test results?
- Whom should I contact with questions about the plan?
- How are previous records and images obtained?
- How will information be shared with my primary care clinician and other specialists?
- If hospital care is needed, how will follow-up be arranged?
Understanding these details helps you participate in your care and know what to expect.
Consider practical access
Location, appointment arrangements, insurance participation, and referral requirements can all affect your experience.
Confirm your exact insurance plan with both the office and your insurer. Ask whether referrals or authorizations are needed and which services may involve a separate facility or provider.
If you prefer telephone communication or need help using a patient portal, ask the office about available options.
A second opinion can support a shared decision
A second opinion can help clarify options before an important cardiovascular decision. It can also support a conversation with your existing care team.
When recommendations differ, ask what findings, risks, and goals inform each approach. Sharing the same records and original images, when available, helps clinicians consider the same information.
Advanced cardiovascular experience at Flow Heart & Vascular
At Flow Heart & Vascular in Mesa, Nachiket J. Patel, MD, FACC, FSCAI, brings together advanced clinical training, published scholarship, and experience educating other cardiovascular specialists.
His professional background includes:
- Board certification in Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology, with additional fellowship training in peripheral and endovascular intervention.
- More than 70 authored or co-authored publications, including research, reviews, editorials, and clinical reports.
- Presentations at national cardiovascular meetings, including discussions of complex cases and procedures he has personally performed.
- An academic appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix.
Patients can explore his training, clinical interests, and approach to care or review his CV and publication list.
Flow welcomes patients from Mesa, the East Valley, and the greater Phoenix area for cardiovascular evaluation and care. To discuss an appointment or a cardiovascular second opinion, call 480-571-1863 or contact the office.
Helpful next steps
- Prepare for your first cardiology visit: what to bring and what to expect.
- Print the Preparing for Your Visit worksheet to organize your questions.
- Learn about cardiovascular second opinions and the records that can help.
