Negative physician references: What do they mean?

What should you do if you get a negative reference about a candidate? First, ask yourself why. Don't eliminate a candidate based solely on a less-than-positive response. Next, dig deeper. Is this reference totally objective? Maybe the hospital or physician group didn't do its homework and recruited the wrong physician. That doesn't mean the physician won't fit with your practice.

For instance, perhaps the physician left for reasons that he or she felt were acceptable but that colleagues and referring physicians viewed negatively. Maybe the geographic location was not ideal, the financial potential not as presented, or the quality of life poor.

Ask follow-up questions to find out. For example, if a reference says, "Dr. Smith has a bedside manner that some patients find abrasive,"