Choosing a pediatrician is not a matter to be taken lightly. Make sure you find a doctor you can depend on before you need him.
If you have children or are expecting a baby you need to know that you have a pediatrician that you can count on. Choosing a pediatrician should be a bit more involved than opening up your phone book or health insurance manual. Pediatricians have different policies, office hours, philosophies, and demeanors. It's a good idea to decide in advance what qualities are important to you in a pediatrician before you choose one and interview prospective doctors to find the one that will best suit your needs.
Before interviewing a prospective pediatrician it is a good idea to run a quick background check. You can investigate your pediatrician with the Federation of State Medical Boards to find out if your pediatrician has ever had any disciplinary actions or complaints against him. There are also books for each state entitled Books of Questionable Doctors that you may be able to find at your local library.
It is important to choose a pediatrician who will be available to you in one way or another whenever your child is sick. Some doctors have regularly scheduled days off and may not be available to you at all after office hours. Choose a doctor who can be reached any time, day or night, through his answering service. You don't want to have to take your child to the emergency room for an illness that could be easily treated by the doctor. Many doctors will have other doctors covering for them when they are unavailable or have nurse practitioners working in the office when they are not there. Find out if your doctor has other options for you when he will not be available.
Make sure your pediatrician's philosophies on health match your own. Some doctors may be quite liberal in the administration of antibiotics and medications while others prefer to let nature take its course in some cases. Make sure your pediatrician is open to listening to your concerns about any treatments. If you are uncomfortable with the treatment your doctor prescribes it can cause added stress to you and your family and you may not follow the doctor's advice. Your pediatrician should also keep up on the latest medical information and not be too set in his ways when it comes to alternative or new treatments.
The pediatrician's office is an important factor you should consider. Make sure the office staff is friendly and accommodating. The office should be clean and comfortable and geared towards children. Take notice of the waiting room and find out how long patients normally have to wait. Short wait times are important when you have small children or babies who are on feeding and nap schedules. Find out how long you should expect to wait for an appointment if your child is sick.
Insurance is a major factor in choosing health care providers these days. Find out if your pediatrician accepts most major insurance plans so that if your plan changes you will not have to change doctors. Some doctors may be open to accepting your new insurance plan while others have certain plans they will not work with. The insurance status of your pediatrician may affect the way you choose your health plans in the future.
If you are expecting a baby you should choose your pediatrician before the baby is born. Some pediatricians are on staff with the hospital where you will deliver and may want to visit your baby in the hospital before she is discharged. Other pediatricians may want to see your new baby within a few days of her arrival at home. In either case a pediatrician at the hospital will check your baby before she goes home. Find out what your pediatrician's policy is on newborns ahead of time and that will be one less thing you will have to worry about when you come home with a new baby.
