Questions for Pedi

[Deleted]

DH and I have an appointment to meet with baby's potential pedi tomorrow. What should we expect? What kind of questions should we ask? I am 100% that we are going to go with this pedi.


Side-note: My doctor cleared me to keep the appointment since the office is right next to the hospital and right before my scheduled NST.

[redheadbaker]

I asked about evening hours, how quickly a doctor or nurse would return a phone call, did they have a lactation consultant on-staff (or have someone to whom they would send referrals), and about their vaccination policy (I preferred a practice that would not see patients who refused all vaccines on philosophical reasons).

[auntie]

1. Whether you get a choice of doctor or get assigned whoever is available. DS's pedis allow you to schedule with a specific doc for well checks, but it's luck of the draw for sick visits. Do they use CNP or PAs in leiu of physicians for some stuff?

Do they have docs with different areas of expertise? Some docs that are more interested in certain ages or conditions. Dr. S was great with newborns and skin issues, Br. B is great with older kids and asthma, Dr. K is an expert in adolescents and has a lot of teen gyno work and Dr. M is great around behavioral and developmental stuff.

2. Do you want a pedi who does strictly medical stuff or are you also looking for parental guidence?

3. What's the procedure for calling in questions and concerns? Do they have a call-in hour manned by a doc or RN? Or can you call anytime?

4. What's their after hours protocol? DS's pedis offer sick visits and vaccine clinics on Saturdays and Sundays 9- noon. After 8pm, calls go to a CHOP nurse who will arrange emergency care if needed. This is huge IMHO and why I haven't switched DS to a family practice.

5. One of the most important things to know is how easy it is to get a referal to a specialist if you need one.