As we prepare to meet our newest addition to the family, we've come to a really important decision: deciding on a pediatrician. My OB recommended a doctor who we may possibly go with, but this of course will be based on our initial prenatal interview with him and the connection that we feel we have. In doing a bit of research I discovered iVillage.com's 10 great questions to ask when choosing a pediatrician.
What is your philosophy about child rearing? I would like an idea of how many mothers in his practice breastfeed their babies successfully? Does he think children should be fed on a schedule? Sleep or co-sleep with their parents? Wean at a particular time? What is his usual recommendation for babies who cry when they're put to sleep at night? His philosophy about antibiotics or other medication for children who have colds or other ailments? And the biggie, what is his opinion about infant vaccinations? I think it's important to get some sense in advance of how much we agree with our doctor on child rearing. Otherwise, we'll probably end up changing doctors later, and we also won't get the benefit of a professional opinion because we may avoid bringing up certain topics that are points of contention.
How much are your hospital charges and fees for office visits? Many HMOs and similar health care plans set flat fees, so I want to be certain that such is the case with our doctor.
Do you charge for phone calls? Most physicians do not charge for these calls, but some do. I know as parent to our firstborn we'll likely call him pretty frequently, so this is important for us to know.
Do you return every call? Some doctors make every callback. Others have office personnel return the calls. Occasionally, the nurse who handles your phone call may not have the same attitude about the issue in question (breastfeeding or sleeping habits, for example) that you or your doctor have. It would be nice to have an idea of what to expect.
What is the scheduled length of your appointments? We realize that the closer his appointments are (i.e., 10 to 15 minutes apart, rather than 20 or 30 minutes]), the more likely it is we'll do some waiting, and perhaps be rushed through our appointment when we do see him. This idea isn't appealing to us at all, so it's important information to find out.
How often do you want to see our baby in the first year? Why? Pediatricians more than family practitioners will schedule several "well-child" visits for your child. Pediatricians believe this to be a form of preventive care and an opportunity for parent education. iVillage.com suggested discussing in advance with your doctor the purpose of these "well-child" visits, so that you can decide what's appropriate for your child's care. We all need encouragement as parents, but it's up to us to decide if it's always worth an office-visit fee to find out how much our baby weighs and the fact that the doctor thinks he is doing well. As first-time parents, I imagine this could be reassuring for us… but the second time around maybe not so necessary.
Do you have a "sick-child" waiting room? Some pediatricians try to avoid mixing the well children and the sick children in the same reception area. Young children are very susceptible to contagious diseases. This is important to me. My OB practiced the same way. During the first trimester of my pregnancy, I had a fleeting scare with shingles (one of my patients at the hospital I work at had contracted shingles, and I had significant exposure to her just prior to her diagnosis/quarantine). Anyway, I called my OB really concerned, and she told me about the symptoms to watch out for before scheduling an appointment for me to come in and see her. Should I have needed to come in, we planned to see one another at a separate location, separate from all the other pregnant ladies. I appreciated this very much, as it would be dangerous and unfair to expose all the other women to this. So I can appreciate pediatricians who operate the same way. *Fortunately, I did not end up getting shingles!*
If you share a practice, will I always see you? According to iVillage.com this is not likely. If you are scheduling an exam well in advance, it's easy to ask for a day that your doctor will be in the office. However, if you have a sick child, you'll get whomever is in the office or on call. If it's important to you, arrange to meet all the doctors who might cover for your baby's doctor in an emergency, or when you're in the hospital.
Do you have evening or Saturday hours? Although daytime hours are still the rule, a growing number of doctors are accommodating working parents.
Does a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) work in your office?A PNP is a nurse with additional training who becomes the pediatric equivalent of the certified nurse midwife in an obstetrician's office. A PNP can handle "well-child" checks and minor illnesses, and consults with the pediatrician as needed. It seems that many parents like to work with PNPs, as they often spend more time with them, and their fees are lower than a doctor's.
I'll keep you posted on our decision about our baby's pediatrician, as well as how his first doctor's appointment goes! Happy Holidays and Merry Everything to you and all your significant others!
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I was unaware that people interviewed pediatrician’s these days… until, my co-worker told me she was interviewing ped’s this past week. Good list of questions. I might share it with her if she hasn’t found her doctor of choice yet.