Know Your Provider

Honesty in advertising is important in any industry, but in the healthcare field it is critical. Consumers want to know that the healthcare services they receive are being performed by professionals who have been trained and are licensed to perform those services. The alternative can have deadly consequences.

TMA’s guide to knowing your healthcare provider can help you make better choices and have confidence that the provider you are seeing is properly qualified.

PROVIDER GLOSSARY
Not everyone who wears a white coat is a doctor, and the growing list of healthcare acronyms can make it difficult for patients to know the difference. TMA offers a brief guide to help clarify different types of healthcare providers and their roles in delivering care.

VIEW GLOSSARY

MEDICAL SPA REGISTRY
Under a recent Tennessee law, medical spa facilities must be supervised by a Tennessee-licensed physician and register with the state. Check the registry before receiving treatment at a medical spa to see if the facility is listed and which physician supervises it.

CHECK STATE REGISTRY

PHYSICIAN-LED TEAMS 
Surveys show that patients want physicians to to be involved in their care because of doctors' more extensive education, training and experience. TMA supports a physician-led, patient-centered, team-based healthcare delivery model.

READ WHITE PAPER

Research Your Provider

Make sure your healthcare provider is licensed in Tennessee here.

Confusion Over Medical Credentials

In an American Medical Association survey about truth in medical advertising, more than half of respondents said they disagreed with the statement: "It is easy to identify who is a licensed MD or DO and who is not by reading what services they offer, their title and other licensing credentials in advertising or other marketing materials." 

  • 94 percent of respondents said only licensed medical doctors or doctors of osteopathic medicine should be able to use the title "Physician"
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  • 84 percent said they prefer a physician to have primary responsibility for their diagnosis and management of their healthcare.
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  • 86 percent said patients with a chronic disease benefit when a physician leads the healthcare team.

 

You can view the Truth in Advertising Survey here.

  • 94 percent of respondents said only licensed medical doctors or doctors of osteopathic medicine should be able to use the title "Physician"
  •  
  • 84 percent said they prefer a physician to have primary responsibility for their diagnosis and management of their healthcare.
  •  
  • 86 percent said patients with a chronic disease benefit when a physician leads the healthcare team.

 

You can view the Truth in Advertising Survey here.

  • 94 percent of respondents said only licensed medical doctors or doctors of osteopathic medicine should be able to use the title "Physician"


A majority of respondents said they would support legislation to require all health care advertising materials to clearly designate the level of education, skills and training of all healthcare professionals promoting their services.

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Who is a Physician?

The AMA defines a physician who has received a "Doctor of Medicine" or a "Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine" degree or an equivalent degree following successful completion of a prescribed course of study from a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine. Here's a look at how training for MDs and DOs differs from those of other healthcare providers.

Learn more about the work and education requirements of healthcare professionals from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Source: American Medical Association