Choosing a Pediatrician for Your New Baby
What to Consider
Choosing the right pediatrician for your new baby is a very important and personal decision. Group pediatric practices today are able to offer a wider range of services compared to the single physician offices of the past. The overall atmosphere in pediatric offices has changed as well. Many of today’s pediatric offices are designed with child pleasing murals, artwork, books and toys to help children feel at home and unafraid. Gone are the days of the sterile white lab coat. Providers often wear casual business attire and nurses or medical assistants wear bright, colorful medical scrubs. Many offices today also do a much better job of staying on time for appointments. With computerized appointment systems, practices can carefully tailor their day to accommodate varying appointment lengths based on the degree of illness or need. These improvements help provide a pleasant and stress free experience for both parent and child when visiting the pediatrician.
When choosing a pediatrician for your new baby a little research will help you to make an informed decision. Many pediatric practices offer free prenatal (or “Meet the Doctor”) visits for expectant parents, so that you may meet with a physician prior to your baby’s birth and ask questions about the practice and newborn care. Another excellent way to learn about a particular pediatric practice is to visit their website. Many of the larger pediatric practices have comprehensive websites where prospective patients can read about the providers on staff, practice policies, and services offered. Some practices even have an online library of pediatric health information and home care tips for parents to refer to when they have questions about caring for a new baby or if their child is sick.
Questions to consider when choosing a pediatrician for your new baby include the following:
- Are all of the physicians on staff certified by the American Board of Pediatrics? Does the practice support continuing medical education for their providers? Does it maintain a clinical committee to keep abreast of the latest developments in pediatric care?
- At what hospitals are the physicians on staff? What newborn nurseries do they visit? Where do they admit sick patients?
- Can they provide care for children with special needs, developmental and behavioral issues, multiple and premature births?
- How does the practice handle emergencies? Do they have an emergency phone line where parents can speak directly to staff when necessary? Can they provide immediate care for urgent medical problems, such as respiratory distress, lacerations, injuries and other urgent needs?
- Are same day visits available for sick children?
- Do they have Saturday hours?
- How do they schedule their day? Do they have a computerized appointment system? Do they generally run on time for appointments?
- At what ages do they recommend well child care exams? What is their philosophy on well care and immunizations? Do they participate in the statewide immunization registry?
- Is there an after hours service and on-call physician?
- Does the pediatric practice have a nurse advice line? Can you call during business hours and speak directly with a nurse to ask a question or get advice regarding health and behavior concerns?
- Does the practice have an electronic medical records system that can be accessed from all office locations, as well as by their nurse advice line?
- Does the practice have a referrals department to coordinate referrals to specialists?
- Does the practice have a website with medical resources to answer common questions regarding child health concerns when the office is closed? Does their website have any online services; such as requests for prescription refills or immunization records? Do they have a newsletter to keep parents up to date on current health issues and practice news?
- Is the office conveniently located?
- Does the pediatric practice accept your health insurance? What are their payment policies?
When choosing a pediatrician for your new baby, keep in mind that you are looking for a “medical home” for your child – one where you can develop a long term relationship with the staff, as you partner together to give your new baby the healthiest future. The pediatric practice you choose plays an important role in keeping your family healthy and happy. With a little research you can find a pediatrician that offers the services you want to best meet the needs of your family.
