Choosing a Pediatrician
Questions to Think About
With the life-transforming event of childbirth comes the responsibility to manage your child's health and wellbeing. You will need a professional partner and a pediatrician to guide you through your multitude of concerns about the baby's feeding, growth, and ailments. Childhood is a very vulnerable period that often requires many ill and well visits. So, it is important to select the best matching pediatrician for the joint venture of childcare. The following questions are worth exploring in your search for an excellent pediatrician.
Does the pediatrician update his or her knowledge?
Regularly updated knowledge promotes the most effective treatments while reducing the chance for errors or harm. A pediatrician who upkeeps his or her expertise tends to use the latest treatment protocols and guidelines. Such a pediatrician will often attend educational programs, read pediatric journals, and even teach to stay updated on medical treatments and practice guidelines. Does the pediatrician perform thorough check-ups and provide relevant health education to parents? Does the pediatrician have practice privileges at the hospital your child might use? If so, the child could receive care from the same familiar pediatrician if admitted to the hospital.
Is the availability of appointments satisfactory?
It is very important to find out how quickly you will get an appointment for ill visits. A quick appointment on the same day is important to manage minor ailments, as emergency departments are designed for the critically ill. Find out how long the wait is for well visit appointments. Is there back up coverage when the pediatrician is away or when the clinic is closed? Is there off-hour phone guidance available from nursing staff? Most parents today work and may prefer some evening and Saturday services. Group practices tend to have more covered hours than solo practices. Once you arrive, it's reasonable to be in and out within 30 minutes for quick visits and allow about 1 hour wait for routine or chronic illness visits.
Does the pediatrician discuss your child's condition and address your concerns and preferences?
A sensitive and caring pediatrician would try to understand your values, priorities, and concerns, and make efforts to accommodate them. He or she would put you in control of your child's care by teaching, guiding and establishing a close trusting relationship with you as the child's health advocate. You should be told what is wrong with the child, the options available, why and what is being done, and what to watch for in an easily understandable way. Effective communication is not about how long the conversation is, but about what information is communicated and how.
If you have strong priorities, linguistic challenges, or cultural differences, select a matching expert who would accommodate your preferences. For example, if your child has chronic health problems like asthma or special needs, select an expert with experience in managing similar children well. Avoid the one who may be opinionated or intolerant to your values and preferences.
How efficient is the clinic?
An efficient clinic would ensure easy scheduling of appointments and tests, coordinate the care, follow up critical test results, and assist in finding sub-specialists when needed. Familiarize yourself with your health insurance and work with the clinic staff to ensure prompt reimbursement and necessary pre-approvals. Are the staff members caring and compassionate? Is the environment child friendly with toys, books, furniture, or decorations that would engage children? A separate annex for well children reduces the chance of spread of infections.
Once you choose a pediatrician, do your part to ensure a lasting partnership. Frequently switching the pediatrician disrupts the continuity of care. Respect the time limitations today's pediatricians face in order to have a viable practice while working within the time constraints placed by the insurance companies. When you need additional information, ask your pediatrician about reliable websites with related health information. Most importantly, comply with the treatment plan. Ultimately, you are in charge of your child's wellbeing and a lasting partnership with the right pediatrician could be the best resource in your day-to-day struggles.