CHOOSING THE RIGHT PEDIATRICIAN
Choosing the right pediatrician is very important because you may have a relationship with this doctor your 20 years. Start searching for a pediatrician when you are pregnant. Your best referrals can come from neighbors, friends and relatives. You can also ask your obstetrician for recommendations. When you have put together a list of prospective doctors, check with your insurance company and make sure your prospective pediatricians are approved with your medical plan.
When you have your list of referred doctors, check them on the Academy of Pediatrics website http://www.aap.org/en-us/Pages/Default.aspx to make sure that they are certified practitioners.
Recommendations are important, however what you are looking for in a doctor may not be what your friend wants. Here are some questions from BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board that you should ask your friends and relatives as you think about how important the following factors are when choosing your pediatrician:
• How does your child respond to the doctor?
• Does the doctor seem to enjoy working with children?
• Does the doctor seem to know about the latest medical advances?
• Does the doctor welcome questions?
• Does the doctor take time to discuss problems and listen to your concerns?
• If it's a group practice, do you know and like the other doctors?
• Is the office staff patient and helpful?
• How long do you usually have to wait?
• Is the waiting room pleasant and kid-friendly?
• Is parking plentiful and convenient?
• Is there anything you don't like or wish was different about your child's doctor or her practice?
After you determine what is important to you, narrow your list and prepare to visit each doctor in person. After you make an interview appointment put together a list of questions you would like to ask the doctor.
• Which hospital is the doctor affiliated with?
• Will the doctor (or someone else in the practice) see your newborn in the hospital or will the first contact be an office visit?
• Do the doctor's hours suit your schedule? You might prefer one who works certain days of the week or who offers evening or Saturday-morning hours.
• How does the office handle telephone inquiries? Does it set aside specific times for parents to call in with questions or is there an open advice line during office hours? And if staff members handle the inquiries, do they dispense their own advice or relay the doctor's?
• Does the doctor accept and answer questions by email?
• How long does it take to get a non-emergency appointment with the doctor?
• How are appointments handled for children who are sick? Is there good chance your child will get to see his own doctor?
• Are there separate well-baby and sick-baby waiting rooms?
• Is the staff warm and helpful?
(BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board)
• How do you reach the doctor if your child gets sick after hours? When your doctor is not on call, who covers? (Some doctors send patients to urgent care clinics, for example, while others will meet you at the office even at night.
• Does the doctor have a subspecialty or an area of interest?
• How does the practice handle payments, billing, laboratory charges, and insurance claims?
• Do you and the doctor have similar views on topics such as circumcision, breastfeeding, immunizations, alternative medicine, and parenting issues such as attachment parenting, co-sleeping, single parenthood, and daycare? If not, is the doctor open to — and supportive of — other opinions and approaches?
• Pay attention to such intangibles as the doctor's style. Do you want a doctor who offers choices and lets you decide which one works best for you — or would you be more comfortable with one who gives a lot of direction?
• Take note of the overall atmosphere of the office. Is it clean, warm, and inviting?
• Was parking a problem?
(Baby Center)
http://www.babycenter.com/0_choosing-a-doctor-for-your-baby_320.bc