Choosing a Pediatrician
You may be anticipating a new child’s arrival.
Cherylyn Feierabend
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Choosing a Pediatrician
Hey There! You’re listening to the Mighty Mommy with some Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting. Today’s Topic: Deciding on a Doctor: Tips for Choosing a Pediatrician
You may be anticipating a new child’s arrival or you already have a child and are looking for a new pediatrician. Either way, there are many different things to consider when choosing your new doctor.
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It always seems so much easier to just open up the book sent by your insurance company and choose the doctor closest to your house or place of business. Although you may get lucky and find a great doctor, doing a little bit of research can go a long way. The doctor-patient relationship is an important one. Here are a few tips to assist you in making the search for a pediatrician a little less daunting.
Let’s start with your current doctor. If you have an established relationship with a doctor you already like, maybe you can use the same doctor for your child. Is he or she a family practitioner? If so, how often do you see children in the office during your visits? Does the office appear to be child friendly? If your doctor sees children regularly and is someone you would trust to see your child, I would recommend that you request an appointment to sit down and discuss your needs.
I personally do use my family practitioner for all members of our family. I’d been a patient of the same office for over ten years, and I had no hesitation in bringing my children there as well. I spoke with my doctor and she agreed with my decision. I have found it quite beneficial to have the same doctor as my husband and children. I like that it is an established relationship. She has our medical history and she knows all of us. Also, if one of us is suffering from some type of affliction, she will know what is going on with each of us, and she is able to keep us healthier as a group.
The main drawback to using a family practitioner as opposed to a pediatrician is the office hours. Most pediatric offices do offer extended hours, unlike a general practitioner whose office will usually close around 5:00 p.m. Many cities now have nighttime pediatric care centers. These centers can be very beneficial to those of us whose doctors are not available in the middle of the night. When interviewing your pediatrician, be sure to find out what type of on-call services are offered.
Once it is time to start searching for a pediatrician, your best source of information will be the people you know. You might want to request referrals from your doctor, your obstetrician, or family and friends in the area who also have children. Once you have some ideas, make appointments to interview the doctors in which you are interested. When you call to make the appointment, be sure to find out if your insurance is accepted. After that important question is out of the way, go ahead and make arrangements for a visit.
Make a list of all of the important questions you want to ask the pediatrician. Be sure to bring your list with you to the office. When speaking to your perspective doctor, you will want to ask questions that are important to you. Find out if you are on the same page when it comes to the concerns you have about your children. Your pediatrician should be one who respects your religious, cultural, and moral beliefs. Also, if you feel strongly about specific alternative health methods, you’ll want to find a doctor that offers such methods. You may want to ask questions about immunizations, antibiotic prescriptions, what to expect during regular checkups, and any other topics important to you. Of course, if your child does have special needs, you’ll want to be sure that the pediatrician you choose is fully capable and willing to attend to these needs.
Find out how the doctor handles appointments. Does the office over-book and rush everyone through, or do they ask that you wait patiently while they take care of each individual as thoroughly as possible? Are you willing to wait a little bit longer to ensure that your child will also receive the complete care that he needs?
During the interview process you should feel comfortable with your pediatrician. If you do already have your child, you will probably want to bring him with you to the interview. Pay close attention to how the doctor and child interact. The more comfortable the child is with the doctor, the easier it will be when it comes time for a visit. When it comes to decision time, you’ll want to choose the pediatrician that you feel most comfortable with. Keep in mind that the decision is not set in stone. If you choose a pediatrician and then do not feel comfortable with him after having your child treated, you don’t have to continue seeing that doctor. Keep one or two backups in mind if you are concerned about this, and if this should happen you will be prepared.
That’s it for now. Hope you enjoyed listening. I wish you and your family good health!
The Mighty Mommy’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Practical Parenting is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips network, so be sure to check out other great shows like Legal Lad and Grammar Girl at QuickAndDirtyTips.com.
This is your friend, the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!
Music – “Golly Gee” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons “Attribution 2.0” https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Pediatrician image courtesy of Shutterstock