|
Choosing a
Pediatrician
 What
to Ask when Searching for Dr. Right
by Sue Price Maybe a personal ad is not the
best way to find a pediatrician, but for many
mothers-to-be it is tempting to try every avenue
available. After all, a pediatrician will be part of
the PFB’s circle of care and therefore a definite
VIP.
“The majority of people choose a pediatrician
from referrals from friends or obstetrician or even
insurance lists,” says Dr. Sivan Hines, one of five
pediatricians in the WellStar Pediatric and
Adolescent Center of Cobb who has been practicing
for more than 17 years. “Everybody is looking for
different things in a doctor, but parents have to be
informed consumers, because they are their child’s
number one advocate.” Being an informed consumer
means taking as much time and care to find just the
right doctor as you would anything else that
influences your child’s world – the childcare
center, playground, neighborhood, home.
Pediatricians are willing and enthusiastic partners
in this effort, and most are willing to grant
prenatal interviews.
Prenatal Interview “The physicians at
our practice do at least five interviews a week,”
says Hines who sees potential new patients at least
once a week. He says the interviews take about 20
minutes and are scheduled early, before the regular
patients arrive or during the doctor’s lunch hour.
“They are almost always with first time parents.
People are trying to get a feel for someone they can
relate to and who shares their philosophy.” Once
the basics are covered, including making sure the
doctors is board certified, parents should make sure
they like the office itself. Depending on how well
(or accident-prone!) your new child tends to be, the
both of you could be spending a lot of time at the
doctor’s office, so it’s best to be comfortable
there.
Most importantly, do you like the doctor?
“If you can’t have a good conversation with the
doctor in the interview, it’s not a good fit,” says
Hines. “In the end, it comes down to your gut
instinct and how comfortable you are with the
doctor. You should put a lot of stock in your
ability to relate to him or her, because you should
never leave a doctor’s office not understanding
their method of care, including why a certain
medicine was prescribed or why it was not.”
Other issues
to cover are how appointments are assigned,
how phone calls are handled and the
availability of separate well and sick
waiting rooms.
Veronica Waithe, a Lilburn mother of two,
took advantage of the interview option when
she chose a pediatrician in Gwinnett county.
“I didn’t care if the doctor was a man or a
woman—their bedside manner was most
important to me,” says Waithe. “I didn’t
want just the first one I could find with a
degree, I wanted someone I could connect
with. Someone who was sensitive to my
concerns and made me feel like they were
giving me personalized service.”
Not all parents opt for a
formal interview with the doctor, however.
Many trust their friends’ referrals.
Inquiring Moms
Want to Know ...
Choosing a
pediatrician is one of the biggest
decisions a parent has to make over
the course of a child’s life. No
matter whom you choose and whether
you interview 20 doctors or zero,
there are some key points to cover
before entrusting your child to a
physician’s care.
Qualifications:
What is the doctor’s training
and credentials? Is he board
certified? How does he keep his
medical knowledge up to date? Has he
ever lost a malpractice suit? To see
if there have been any serious
disciplinary actions or peer reviews
against the pediatrician, call the
Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
at 1-817-868-4000.
Insurance:
What insurance plan does the doctor
work with? What hospital is he
affiliated with? If your company
changes insurance plans, will you
have to change doctors? (Note: If a
physician participates in many major
plans, there is a better chance of
maintaining a long-term relationship
with one physician.)
Professional
Philosophies: What is the
pediatrician’s philosophy on the
issues that concern you most, like
breastfeeding, potty training,
pacifiers, discipline and other
matters? Does the doctor handle most
illnesses by prescribing medicine?
Does he easily prescribe antibiotics
for things such as fever? Does he
also give advice on non-medication
options?
Rapport: Do
you respect, trust and like this
person enough to have a professional
relationship? How does the doctor
handle routine questions? Does he
encourage them? Does he listen well?
Is he patient? Is he condescending
or respectful with parents’
concerns? Can he explain things in
layman’s terms?
Hours and
After-Hours: What are the
regular office hours? Do they offer
early morning, evening or weekend
hours? Is someone on call
after-hours? Does the pediatrician
carry a pager? Does he have an
answering service? Will he see your
child after hours if there is an
urgent concern or will he send you
to the Emergency Room?
Location:
Where is the office located? Is it
within a reasonable time and
distance from home? Is it an
attractive, safe, professional
environment? Is the staff happy and
helpful? How close is the nearest
hospital? What emergencies are the
doctors equipped to handle in the
office?
Phone Calls:
Will the doctor give advice by
phone, without an office visit? Is
there a specific call-in hour for
parents’ questions? How quickly will
your call be returned if the doctor
is unavailable?
Word of Mouth
Acworth mom Cami Pernell decided if four of
her friends all liked the same doctor that
was good enough for her. “I chose my
doctor purely on their referrals,” says
Pernell, mother of of 3 year- old Nia and 1
year-old J.J. “I know some people interview
a bunch of doctors before they choose, but I
trusted my friends.”
The Pernells chose West Cobb Pediatrics,
a group practice with nine doctors and
several nurse practitioners spread over
three different locations. Although Pernell
prefers to see the same doctor (or two) each
time, she still appreciates the convenience
of a group. Advantages of a group include
providing longer office hours and therefore
more available appointments. However, you
may not see the same doctor every time.
Group or not, convenience itself is a big
factor in the decision. Find an office with
hours that accommodate your needs, as much
as possible. Infants require frequent
routine checkups, so a long drive or
inconvenient hours may pose a problem later
on.
“My doctors have Saturday morning
appointments, which I really like,” says
Pernell. “When the kids are sick, they
always get me in that day. Every time I call
the nurse, she calls me back within 15
minutes.” Pernell says she has called
“quite a few times” to ask about Tylenol
dosages for a fever or what to do about
stomach flu. New moms have tons of
questions, especially in the first few
weeks, so it’s better to feel free to call
first – and be told everything will be
alright – than to feel compelled to make an
appointment for every sneeze or whimper.
Support Staff
“They always remember me when I come in,”
says Pernell. “After J.J. was born, they
knew I had a 2-year old at home and they’d
ask,’ how are you doing?’ and I’d start to
tell them about the kids, then they’d say,
‘No, how are you?” Pediatricians have
varying philosophies on parenting issues.
Find how your prospective doctor feels about
the major ones, like breastfeeding or
discipline.
“My doctors definitely support breast
feeding, which was important to me,” says
Pernell adding that she doesn’t always agree
with every opinion each doctor has. “Like
one of the doctors thinks at a year old the
baby has to lose the pacifier and start
drinking only out of a cup. The other doctor
is older and is more easy-going. It doesn’t
bother me to have little differences like
that.” Hospital
Connections It’s also important
to consider the potential pediatrician’s
connection with the hospital where you plan
to give birth. If the doctor is not
affiliated, the hospital will assign a staff
pediatrician as your primary care provider,
requiring special paperwork later to change
it.
After the delivery, where your
pediatrician has hospital privileges matters
as well. When Nia was hospitalized with
tonsillitis, her pediatrician was able to
see her in the hospital. “With nine
doctors in the practice, they rotate who is
on-call at the hospital,” says Pernell.
“When their own patients are in the
hospital, they come see them. It was very
reassuring seeing our familiar doctor who
knew us when she was in there.”
Individual Comfort
Like Pernell, Melissa Petty of Powder
Springs initially went to her family’s
pediatrician using advice from friends, but
stays because he is personable and ultra
professional, which puts her – and one-year
old Blake – at ease.
Every time Petty and Blake visit the
pediatrician, she comes armed with a list of
questions, so finding a pediatrician with
patience for “the list” was vital.
“I’m a first time mom, so I was really
nervous about a lot of things when he was
first born,” says Petty. “Most of my
questions seemed to be about breast-feeding
and whether I should feed on demand or put
him on a schedule, that kind of thing.”
“Now he asks for the list the moment I
arrive.”
| 
