Things To Look At When Choosing A Children's Clinic
by Julia Gregory
Choosing the right pediatrician early in your child's life can help you to develop a strong relationship with your child's care provider. But when you're making such a big decision, there are many factors that can come into play. Here are some things to look at when you're trying to choose the right children's clinic.
Their Training Background
The first thing to look at is the doctor's training background. A great pediatrician will have specialized medical training and three or more years of medical residency in a pediatrics center. Be sure to look at the doctor's accreditation from the American Board of Pediatrics and make sure that it is up to date.
Their Health Care Network
You may need to work with other doctors in the case that your child needs specialized care. Ask which hospital the doctor would refer you to in case of a medical emergency and who some of their favorite care specialists are. You may want to also research these doctors and facilities to make sure that you're comfortable with the entire care team.
Their Waiting Room Layout
A doctor's waiting room can tell you a lot about their quality of care. Make sure that the waiting room is friendly and inviting for children of all ages; you may be sticking with this doctor for years to come. Another thing that can be important is the segregation of sick children from healthy children in the waiting room; ask about your facility's policies on this.
Their Care Philosophies
You might want to find out your pediatrician's health care philosophies on certain issues. For instance, different pediatricians may have different stances on prescribing antibiotics, breastfeeding, and other issues that can affect your child's health in the long run. Make sure the doctor's opinions match your own, or that they can be flexible about meeting some of your concerns.
Their Responsiveness
Another thing to think about is how quickly the pediatrician will be able to respond to your needs. Ask the children's clinic about how the doctor responds to calls from parents and who you can contact if the doctor is unable to respond right away.
In short, it's important to look both at the quality of the care you'll receive and at the pediatrics facility's philosophies. You'll want to find a doctor whose opinions on health care match yours and find a network of health care providers you can trust. The factors above can help you find the right pediatric care provider for your child.
Share
About Me
The decision to move one of my parents into assisted living was one of the most difficult I have ever made. I had extreme feelings of guilt that led to me being at the facility with my parent practically around the clock. It took a few months before I realized that I could not let my own life fall apart from the guilt I was feeling. I also learned that my parent was fine without me constantly hovering around. Since that time, I have had several friends express similar feelings of guilt. I started this blog to help others in the same situation understand not only their feelings about assisted living, but those of their parents.