If you have become the parent of a newborn,
you may be looking for the right pediatrician for your child, or you may simply
be looking for a better pediatrician than the one who looks after your child
now. Some people with special needs children may ask whether or not they need a
special pediatrician for their kids. Although there’s no need for any special
pediatrician in case of special needs, however, they should make sure that the
pediatrician they choose has all the characteristics of a good pediatrician.
So, listed below are some of the qualities
you should look for when searching for a pediatrician for your kid, whether no
special needs or special needs.
1. The
pediatrician must listen to you well
As a parent, you are the person who knows
your child best, and there is a likelihood of something being wrong, if you
think something to be wrong. Consider it as a red flag if you find your doctor
blowing you off. Choose a pediatrician who listens well to the concerns you
have, and is ready to invest the time needed to make you understand why he/she
thinks that testing is not needed, or is ready to carry out the proper testing
for ruling out your concerns. This implies that you, as a parent, also need to
listen well, and in case you receive education and reassurance, you need to
leave your concerns for the time being.
The greatest concerns are which may make you
lose your night’s sleep due to worry. So, consider letting your pediatrician
know the things about which you are really worried about. A common example is
that many parents with kids having Down Syndrome have fear of cancer. Kids
usually deal with issues like congestion, fever and other troubles, however, if
this happens quite often, the idea of cancer may sprout in the head of the
parents. Ensure that you ask this question to your pediatrician, as he/she can
easily answer it and you would be reassured. Ask the pediatrician if imaging or
lab work needs to be done for ruling out your such a concern, would he/she be
ready to do that.
2. You both
must have comfortable conversations
You must be comfortable talking with the
pediatrician and asking him/her the questions you have in your mind. In case
you are fearful or intimidated of putting forth your queries, you would perhaps
leave with dissatisfaction after every visit and wish that you would have asked
the question or got cleared the doubt you had in your mind. A key job of
pediatricians is answering the questions asked by parents. So, if you aren’t
comfortable asking questions to your pediatrician, you should reconsider the
pediatrician. You are likely to get a gut feeling regarding this after paying
visits to a pediatrician for the first time. Put trust on your instincts and if
necessary, simply move on.
3. The
pediatrician must spend time with your kid
The pediatrician you are choosing must have
adequate time for spending with you when you visit him/her. It’s not enough to
give just five minutes. In the present world of busy private practice,
physicians face a crisis of time, as they try to run their practice smoothly.
If the pediatrician is very busy, and is unable to make extra time for your
child, you may feel dissatisfied or things may get missed. A pediatrician would
be the center of all your care, and would also be collaborating with different
specialists. Looking at the whole picture well with a pediatrician would take
time.
Ensure that the pediatrician is ready to
invest additional time with you, if needed. To make the best use of the time
your pediatrician gives you and your child, ensure that you note down the
questions you wish to ask before you pay a visit. Listed below are some of the
important questions you may ask a pediatrician:
•
What number of
children do you see per day?
•
In case I have
many questions to ask you or a number of issues to discuss, how to schedule such
appointments?
•
Is it possible
to request for a longer visit if needed?
4. The
pediatrician should be available for emergencies
Although no parents should expect that a
pediatrician would take house calls each time their child coughs, however, your
doctor must have a system in place to deal with emergencies at any time of the
day. Ensure that the doctor’s office consists of a 24-hour contact to address
emergencies. Whether a nurse is there to contact your doctor in case of an
emergency, or there’s a different doctor, you would feel reassured if you know
that there’s someone to contact in case a situation arises, which you cannot
tackle by yourself.
These are some
of the key traits you should look for when selecting a pediatrician for your child. There are many other
qualities too that you need to look for before making the final decision. It’s
a good idea to check out reviews about the pediatrician before finalizing
him/her for your kid. You can check out the internet to get reviews, or you may
also ask the parents of children whom the pediatrician saw previously, or is
seen at present. This would help you make a better decision.
To find the best pediatrician for your child get an EZDoctor Report. EZDoctor Reports contain important information about doctors such as malpractice claims, criminal offenses, real patient reviews and average procedure pricing. Go to ezdoctor.com to get started today! You can also schedule appointments through ezdoctor.com! Filter doctor by name, specialty and insurance plans.
Original and full article: healthinthelaughlane.com