How to Choose a Pediatrician

Among the many important decisions you must make with a new baby is deciding on the person who will be a major player in the early years of your child--the pediatrician. It can be a daunting task to find the right pediatrician, but with a good plan it can be quite painless.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Knowledge of your child's needs
• Clear idea of your principles and desires for health care

1. Know whether you want traditional medical care or more holistic care for your child. If you want a pediatrician that will be flexible and suggest alternative routes to caring for your child instead of taking medication as the usual remedy, then you'll want to use this as the basis of your search. Medical styles can usually be researched easily by checking with the various medical associations like the Holistic Pediatric Association.
2. Ask friends and family about their suggestions. Nothing beats first hand experience with a doctor to determine if they are right for you.
3. Once you have narrowed down your search to a manageable list, make appointments to visit with the doctors in their offices. Make note of their office hours and whether they are convenient for you. Also, pay attention to how easy it is to get through on the phone and how helpful and knowledgeable the staff is. Be sure to ask if they take your insurance.
4. Create an interview survey. Decide what is important to you in your relationship with a pediatrician and make a list. Go over this list with the doctor, and ask them important questions like their policies on any particular issue you may have with medical care. Ask them about their credentials and how they stay up to date on new medical information. You can inquire if they have any special interests in the medical field and if they have children themselves.
5. During this interview process it is actually even more important to pay attention to how the doctor communicates with you than what they say. Do they speak down to you or do they treat you as a partner in the care of your child? Are they honest and open with their answers? Do they listen carefully and answer you questions fully? These are aspects that will come into play as your relationship develops.
6. Observe the office environment. Is it clean and organized? Is there a separate area for sick children and well children? Are there toys and other things available to entertain your child while you wait? Is there a large crowd waiting to see the doctor? Did you have to wait long to see them? All of these things are telling of how well the doctor will take care of your child.
7. When you settle on a pediatrician, make sure you schedule your first visit as far in advance as possible so you can deal with any extra paperwork that may come up.

Tips & Warnings

• Always do the interview as a family if at all possible so you can observe the doctor and how he interacts with your child. If you or your child feel uncomfortable for any reason, move on to the next doctor.
• Trust your instincts.
• Remember that no decision is permanent. If you find that the relationship is not working out with your pediatrician, you can always find a new one.
• Be wary of any pediatrician that charges a fee for an interview, but does not allow this charge to be applied to a future visit.