Even if you almost never catch a cold or stay home from work, you still need an occasional doctor's appointment to keep you in the pink and help you recover when you do fall sick. But how can you find a physician who inspires trust? While it's easy to pick a doctor’s name at random out of the phone book or from your insurer's list of providers, doing a little homework can help you get better care. Here are the 10 steps to follow:

1. Ask around.

Word of mouth is the best way to find a good primary-care physician, says Larry S. Fields, M.D., director of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He suggests chatting up friends and co-workers to find well-liked docs. You can also talk to other professionals, such as your dentist, optometrist and even your pharmacist, about options. Local hospitals generally have doctor-referral services. They can put you in touch with primary-care providers in your area — but won’t make recommendations.

2. Scope out the office staff.

Once you've narrowed your choices, call each office. At a minimum, the doctor’s staff should be courteous and willing to answer your questions regarding billing, insurance accepted, telephone consultations or any other administrative issues. Additional information you may want to gather includes whether you can get a same-day appointment for urgent needs, and the general wait time for routine visits.

3. See which hospitals she is connected to.

Find out where the doctor will send you if you need hospitalization, and whether she can treat you if you are admitted to your local hospital.

4. Check out the office hours.

A doctor who has evening or weekend hours may spare you from taking time off from work for routine visits.

5. Find out who will treat you when she’s not working.

Many providers are part of group practices whose members cover for one another in case of an absence. If your doctor has a solo practice, someone you don’t know may take over when she is unavailable. Find out the office procedure.

6. Request a get-to-know-you meeting.

Some physicians let you come in for a "meet and greet" session in which you can ask questions about their specialties, philosophies on care, opinions on alternative medicine and whatever other questions you feel are important for establishing a long-term relationship. Some professionals don’t charge for this type of session. Others will charge, and—be warned—this kind of appointment is rarely covered by insurance. See the box on the next page for how to evaluate the doctor.

7.Learn what specialists your primary-care provider can refer you to.

This has a lot to do with your insurance company’s restrictions, but it may also depend on what medical centers your provider is affiliated with. Find out if the physician is restricted in any way from referring you to a specialist outside of her system’s affiliations, and check with your insurance plan, too.

8. Determine whether or not routine X-rays and lab tests are performed on-site.

If you're feeling sick, the last thing you want to do is traipse across town to get some routine lab work done. Find out what can be done in the office, or at least in the same building.

9. Ask who calls you back if you have a medical question.

Will your doctor return your call and answer questions you may have, or does a nurse or physician’s assistant return calls for the doctor? There is no "right" way to do this. Some patients prefer speaking with the doctor. Others find that talking with a nurse or physician’s assistant gives them more time to ask questions. The important thing is to find out beforehand how the office handles patient questions, and decide whether you are comfortable with their approach.

10. Do a doctor checkup.

Make sure your provider (internist, family medicine specialist or obstetrician/gynecologist) is board certified, meaning she has passed rigorous tests that ensure top-notch credentials. You can simply ask the office staff or check with state medical boards (the American Medical Association provides links to state boards at ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2645.html. The AMA's Web site at ama-assn.org also provides information on more than 690,000 doctors practicing in the United States. To run a check, just plug in your doctor’s name and see what comes up.

To check on past or current complaints against a doctor, your best bet is the nonprofit group Administrators in Medicine, which provides a free database containing licensing background and disciplinary information on physicians and other health-care practitioners. Go to docboard.org. The nonprofit group Quackwatch also provides an extensive list of Internet resources that can help you check up on your doctor. Go to quackwatch.org and then scroll down to the ­"Consumer Strategy: Tips for Provider Selection" heading.