How to Find a Good Pediatrician

Picking a pediatrician can be an anxiety-inducing job. This person will be not only your child's doctor, but your guide through sleepless nights of fever, earaches and croup. You want to find someone you trust, respect and see eye to eye with, and who your child feels good about. After all, their doc will care for them (and you) from the day you first bring them home until they graduate from high school.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Insurance
• Recommendations
• List of concerns

1. Begin your search while you're pregnant. Ask everyone--family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and medical professionals--to recommend a pediatrician. You'll want to find someone who truly enjoys working with children and their parents, responds appropriately to your concerns, and both respects and listens to you and your child.
2. Check with your health insurance company about which pediatricians in your area are covered by your plan, and to what degree. Many companies publish a provider listing that includes all doctors in a given plan. See How to Get Health Insurance.
3. Narrow it down to three or four doctors and schedule office visits. Ask if there are fees for these informational interviews. Bring a list of questions and concerns along, and don't be shy about asking them. Are you on the same page about parenting? Are you given enough time to truly explore your concerns? How comfortable would you feel entrusting your child's health to this person? Note how the doctor responds to you.
4. Discuss the health issues that are important to you. If you're not sure whether you want to immunize your child, bring that up. Some physicians will not accept patients who do not want to be immunized. Ask about the doctor's thoughts on use of antibiotics, and how and when they should be prescribed.
5. Ask the pediatrician or the administrative staff about billing and scheduling, after-hours care, house calls and same-day or dropin appointments for sick children. Find out how insurance claims and/or co-payments are handled. Ask if the pediatrician (or group) is affiliated with a nearby hospital, and if they have coordinated after-hours care with that facility. Ask when the doctor is available to return phone calls and respond to sick-child concerns. Will you often or always be referred to an after-hours nursing call center?
6. If possible, meet the other doctors in the group so they are not strangers if you bring your child in when his or her doctor is not on-call. If that's not possible, ask about their medical philosophies and credentials.

What to Look For:

• Recommendations
• Warmth and responsiveness
• Insurance coverage
• Shared views on parenting and medical issues

Tips & Warnings

• Consider geographic location. You will make many trips to your pediatrician's office, so choosing someone near your home can be a big plus.
• Make sure the doctor is board certified and hasn't been charged in any medical malpractice suits.
• Follow your instincts: If you feel like something is wrong with your child and the doctor shrugs it off, get a second opinion or get another doctor.