Here is some information about Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. and how it selects the nation's top doctors.
How Does Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. Select America's Top Geriatric Doctors?
The evaluation process begins with the identification of a selected pool of board-certified physicians from the total number of doctors practicing in a given area. These randomly selected doctors receive letters inviting them to go online to a special website to enter nominations of other American doctors whom they feel are clinically outstanding, both on the regional and national level. Also, Castle Connolly solicits nominations for its guides from hospital Presidents, Vice Presidents of Medical Affairs or the equivalent position.
Each of the doctors invited to nominate other doctors is given an anonymous and confidential opportunity to nominate outstanding doctors in various specialties and sub-specialties. Castle Connolly seeks nominations not only of those who excel in academic medicine and research but, most importantly, those top doctors who exhibit excellence in patient care, someone to whom nominating doctors would send members of their own family.
During this phase of the physician selection process, the Castle Connolly research staff also conducts extensive interviews by telephone with leading doctors, specialists, chiefs of service and healthcare executives to strengthen the guide information-gathering processes.
Castle Connolly considers the following among the varied criteria used to determine doctors' eligibility for inclusion in America's Top Doctors; professional qualifications: education, residency, board certification, fellowships; professional reputation, hospital appointment, medical school faculty appointment, experience and disciplinary history.
The Castle Connolly physician-led research staff reviews and refines the pool of nominated doctors in a region, validates nominations, and verifies credentials. This results in the development of a preliminary list of America's Top Doctors. Each of the provisionally selected doctors is then asked to complete a comprehensive professional biography form. The information contained in the biographical forms becomes an integral part of selected doctors' listings in the Guide.
The last phase of the process refines the list of provisionally selected doctors by cross-referencing their names against a variety of databases providing confirmation of: board certification; licensing; disciplinary history.
In some American regions, a small number of peer-nominated doctors who are not board-certified may be included in a Guide. These are top doctors recognized by their colleagues as having exceptional demonstrated clinical practice experience. Doctors ultimately selected for inclusion receive formal notification of their nomination for listing upon completion of the final confirmation of the physician's professional credentials.
How Does Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. Get Its Geriatric Physician Information?
Each of the selected doctors is asked to complete a comprehensive professional biography form and also provide information on their special practice areas of expertise. The information contained in the biographical forms becomes an integral part of selected doctors' listings in the Guide.
How Often Does Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. Update Profiles of America's Top Doctors?
The listings of doctors are updated annually. Additionally, as Castle Connolly's research staff becomes aware of changes in doctors' information, changes are made on an ongoing basis in doctors' profiles.
Do Doctors Pay to be Listed in Castle Connolly Guides?
No. Doctors cannot and do not pay to be listed in any Castle Connolly guide to top doctors. They are selected based on nominations by their peers and reviewed by Castle Connolly's physician-directed research team.