The following resources can provide background information on your current physician or one you are considering.

Administrators in Medicine (www.docfinder.org), an association of state medical-board executive directors, provides information on disciplinary actions taken against doctors in many states.

American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org) shows whether a doctor has completed an approved residency program and passed a detailed written exam in at least one of 24 specialty areas, such as family practice, internal medicine, or urology.

American Medical Association’s Doctor Finder for Patients (http://www.ama-assn.org) features comprehensive information, including educational history, board certification, and hospital admitting privileges, for doctors who belong to the AMA as well as limited information about some nonmember physicians.

Consumers Checkbook Guide to Top Doctors (www.checkbook.org) is a searchable database ($24.95 for a two-year subscription) of the top-rated doctors in 30 fields based on a survey of about 260,000 physicians. You can receive a printed copy by mail for the same price.

HealthGrades (www.healthgrades.com) provides reports on doctors, at $29.95 each, that cover education and training, board certification, professional misconduct or disciplinary actions, and satisfaction scores from patients.