Five Tips for Choosing a Pediatrician

For first-time parents, or parents who are looking for new pediatric care, choosing a pediatrician is a big decision. The doctor you pick will be the one you count on not only for routine well visit appointments, but the person that guides you through the inevitable scary high fever episodes, fast-moving rashes and the multitude of other sudden ailments that tend to befall kids. How do you find the best pediatrician for you?

Dr. Mary Hodson, a pediatrician at Pediatric Associates of Greenwood, and Linda Kortanek, the Executive Practice Director at Northpoint Pediatrics, understand how overwhelming this process can be. Here they provide their suggestions for finding a pediatrician you’ll be happy with for the long haul.

1. Recommendations

Talk with other parents that you trust and respect for their suggestions. Find out why they like their doctor or what complaints or concerns they have. When people love their doctor they are more than happy to tell you all about him or her. Plus, getting a short list to work from gives you a more manageable number of options than the fifty pages Google provides.

2. Research

Once your list is narrowed down, do your homework to make certain the doctors you are interested in are qualified. Where did they get their degree? Have they been certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics? This may seem like an obvious step, but it will help you quickly eliminate doctors you won’t want to consider.

3. Location and Accessibility

When you have a new baby, you visit the doctor’s office a lot. How far is the office from your home, work or daycare? What is the after-hours call policy? Do they offer same day appointments for sick kids? Will you have access to another doctor if yours is unavailable? Some offices also offer online resources like a patient portal where parents can get questions answered, schedule appointments and access information like vaccination records. Not only does this technology make caring for your child easier, but it is also a good indicator of how progressive the office is.

4. Specialties 

Find out what areas the doctor specializes in and if they are comfortable with special needs issues. “When you’re pregnant, you don’t know if you’re going to have a child with special needs or not, so finding someone who is comfortable with that is really important,” says Dr. Hodson. It’s reassuring to know your pediatrician can handle any situation that may arise.

5. In person visit

Interview doctors while you are still pregnant. A good pediatrician will be happy to answer your questions and chat about any concerns you have. Only by meeting in person can you get a feel for how the office runs and the doctor’s personality, says Kortanek, who adds that your doctor will do much more than just administer medicine. He or she will also follow your child’s growth and development, discuss behavior, and answer any question that you have (no matter how silly or insignificant it may feel to you). “I think the single most important thing is having a face-to-face,” says Dr. Hodson. While many factors come into play when choosing a pediatrician, at the end of the day, you and your doctor are partners in the health and well-being of your child. Developing a good relationship with this professional starts with your first meeting.

Finding the right pediatrician may take some time, but the effort you initially invest in the process will pay dividends later. And – if you find that you have chosen someone that you are not comfortable with, don’t hesitate to make a switch. Your child’s health is too important to leave in the hands of someone with whom you don’t have complete confidence. 

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