The SAA:
http://www.spondylitis.orghas a list of doctors recommended by patients that are members / have a spondyloarthritis.
it is free to members.
I became a member to get that list.
there was one doctor in town on that list.
after stumping a doctor, having another tell me I had fibro instead (i don't), and another saying "not enough evidence of inflammation" (there is), I was very excited to go to this recommended specialist.
He was so patronizing, he made me cry every visit, i had to take my husband with me so i wouldn't get so beat up. he decided there was nothing seriously wrong with me (there is) and then completely brushed me off. told me he couldn't prescribe anything beyond the OTC nsaids because they were all TOO DANGEROUS......I thought if i just stuck it out, when i had a flare again and he saw that, that his view would change. it didn't. it was one of the worst experiences of my life.
and he came highly recommended by others that had been dx'ed with AS, etc.
i tried to get into a practice that many of my other specialists recommended, but couldn't because my GP wouldn't try to get me in there. he said if the other rheumy said that i didn't have an inflammatory arthritis, then i didn't (i do).
fast forward to better experiences.......
upon my reading, my favorite writings on undiff spondy (which seemed to fit me very well) were on webmd and written by a rheumatologist in philadelphia. so when i was well enough to travel, i spent my own money and went down there. figuring if anyone could dx me one way or the other, it would be him. within the first minute or so, he knew i had a spondyloarthritis; then he took the next hour to narrow it down to undiff spondy.
he was kind, smart, thorough, etc. he told me that he thought it took so long for a dx (12 years) because my enthesitis was such an extreme case and thus atypical for someone with spondy. and too with the flaring and then "healing" that if other doctors didn't see me in a flare, they didn't know how bad I was, even though i tried telling them; that what i needed was a doctor who believed me. as he said to me, "why would you make these things up."
he is rated as one of the best doctors in philly. but beyond that and being the one to be asked by webmd to write for them, i don't think he has this world wide reputation. though i think he should.
and with his dx on a piece of paper, i was finally able to get into the good rheumy practice here in town. and my current rheumy is equally awesome in just about every way. and yet, outside of town, i'm sure no one knows who he is.
thus, the one doctor recommended by SAA was a nightmare for me, but the doctors i found through my own searching have been wonderful for me.
i do like the site: ratemds.com
but like with anything, we all seem to have slightly different opinions.
it would be great to have something like what you are suggesting, but its not so simple.
finding a smart and compassionate doctor seems to be the key. someone who can both think broadly and is motivated in helping us.
the rheumy in philly and my current rheumy are like that.
my current rheumy seems to be well read. he seems knowledgeable and open to both modern western medicine (steroids, nsaids, dmards, biologics) and more nontraditional approaches (supplements, LDN, diet, etc). and he allows the two of us to make decisions together. he is truly the more educated advisor that i need. and with me in pain and not always able to make unemotional decisions, he is the one able to see things more rationally than i can at times. he is the right doctor for me. he seems to have that ability that you talk about.
i think a doctor who reads a lot and/or goes to a lot of medical conferences will be most knowledgeable and up to date. my rheumy reads a lot, my gastroenterologist goes to a lot of meetings. both seem to be very knowledgeable on the most recent research.
then too, both are very kind and compassionate and really seem to want to help me. that's important to me as well.