Physicians who specialize in children’s health are pediatricians. The best ones undergo specialized training in children’s health from birth through adolescence and adulthood.
They should be board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics (AAP). This means they have passed the government examination.
Whether you’re an expectant parent or a veteran thinking of changing your healthcare provider, looking for the best pediatric doctor may seem daunting and challenging. Making the right choice requires careful planning, and, mind you, it’s time-consuming.
Surprisingly, the results are fulfilling for you and the whole family!
Before choosing a nearby pediatrician or switching to one, consider a few factors. The aim is to have a positive experience with better treatment options and health outcomes.
We at Omega Pediatrics have pulled up information for your convenience. With these tips, your search for the best pediatrician will be much easier. Add a bit of fun while making rational choices. After all, pediatricians make parenting a fun-filled journey.
When is the Right Time to Look for a Pediatrician?
If you’re an expectant mom, three months before the baby is due is the best time to look for the best pediatric doctor. You can get help or ask relatives, family members, and neighbors for suggestions and recommendations.
Another source of referrals is your OB-GYN. During your prenatal checkups, feel free to discuss your choice of pediatrician for your newborn. Some OB-GYNs have partner pediatricians, making it convenient for you during your child’s delivery.
Tips for Choosing a Pediatrician
1. Gather Opinions and Referrals
The best way to start is by asking for references and seeking recommendations from trusted friends, fellow parents, family members, and relatives. You can also ask your OB-GYN or other healthcare providers, too.
Pop into a casual conversation with these people about the fact that you’re looking for such a physician. You could gather useful information from them to draw up your referral list. Sounds straightforward, right?
2. Find Out Credentials and Training
While choosing, there will be a lot of influence from the experiences of family and fellow parents and the opinions of trained doctors—the credentials of the prospective physician matter in your decision-making. You ought to choose objectively.
Make sure the doctor you are considering has a board certificate from the AAP and has finished a three-year pediatric residency. Check their background as to their medical education, any subspecialty taken, and medical practice.
3. Check Credibility of Medical Practice
You might also want to check the prospective doctor’s length or years of medical practice. With years of medical practice, you get information about their professional affiliations, memberships, and participation in industry-related organizations.
Equally important is the doctor’s reputation. Find out the medical conditions the doctor has successfully managed. Also, if they have records of malpractice or the like to gauge their clinical competence and their relationships with colleagues and patients,
In particular, if your prospect is a pediatric cardiologist, you would expect that they see many patients with heart problems. You could then ask your fellow parents about their experiences with the doctor handling their child with a heart problem.
4. Know their Office Location
Convenience is important. Many parents and moms-to-be consider the convenience of office locations their primary consideration. Selecting a physician who is far from your home, workplace, or daycare could become problematic down the road.
When your child needs frequent visits, or when you have a baby for whom doctor visits are important, notwithstanding emergencies, the office location matters.
Also, you might want to consider the clinic’s proximity to a hospital, laboratory, or other healthcare facility. It matters since you will be going to these facilities when the need arises, notwithstanding emergencies.
If you have a car, consider the timing and availability of parking spaces. Also, the doctor’s clinic should be easily accessible by nearby public transport.
5. Set Up an Appointment or an Interview with the Pediatrician
Ensure you connect with the best pediatric doctor and trust them enough about your child’s health. An interview and a visit to their office should be considered. Ensure that you don’t feel dismissive, intimidating, or otherwise off-putting.
Remember that having a pediatrician for your child’s healthcare needs means establishing a long-term relationship. The doctor will be your advisor and partner while caring for your new baby until they grow into young adulthood.
During the meeting, there are many essential details you may need to raise during your discussion with the doctor. Here are some important queries:
- if they’re currently accepting new patients
Your searching time and effort could prove useless if your prospect doesn’t accept new patients at this time. Or you might wait for weeks or months, even until the doctor is open to accepting new patients.
- business hours of the clinic
This means that the doctor’s availability will closely match your schedule and should not significantly disrupt your daily activities. After-hours availability matters in this respect—a great advantage for working moms.
Also, you need to check if the doctor accepts same-day appointments or tight schedules. Often, mothers get busy or kids manifest worrisome symptoms at any time, so it’s best to know if the doctor can accommodate these cases.
- hospital affiliations
This is important since you might need to have laboratory workups, diagnostic screenings, and hospital admissions later. The hospital should also be nearby or within your city, so you won’t have to travel far.
- additional services
Find out the services offered by the clinic. For expectant moms, a lactation service would be helpful. Also, other services, such as newborn circumcision and ear piercing, are equally important when your baby arrives.
During instances when you can’t travel to the office, inquire if the doctor offers telehealth services. Other added services for parent education could be behavioral coaching and therapy treatments for mental health issues and the like.
- communication protocol
You may inquire about how they can be reached, most especially during emergencies. You may need to know if the doctor takes and returns phone calls promptly. Also, if you can communicate through email, ask if there’s a dedicated line for patients’ calls.
The best pediatrician is reachable in the shortest possible time and responds to patient queries and needs promptly.
- philosophy and style of care
During the meeting, consider making good contact with the doctor. It’s also essential that both parents attend the interview if possible to make sure that the particular physician is a good fit for your child in terms of personality and philosophy of care.
For expectant parents, it’s also important to meet with the doctor before your baby arrives to establish a relationship and ask any questions you may have.
In your discussion, ask about the doctor’s philosophy on children’s immunizations, as this is an important component of pediatric care. The doctor’s ideas on child-rearing must also be aligned with your parenting philosophies.
6. Get the Feel of the Office Culture
Before and during the meeting, you will get a first-hand experience of the ambiance and their corporate culture. Take this opportunity to assess the staff’s friendliness in their interactions with the parents and patients.
You get to know the staff’s comfort level and sense of professionalism from the reception staff and the support staff of the medical team.
Also, take notice of the layout of the waiting area. There should be a separate area for sick and well babies and children to prevent contamination with diseases.
Equally important, take notice of the layout and ambiance of their clinic. A pediatric clinic should be welcoming for every child, with attractive and bright colors of wall decor and toys to excite their minds while waiting for their doctor.
7. Aim for a Positive Patient Experience at Every Visit
Pay attention to how the doctor interacts with your little one. During the first few visits, observe whether your infant or toddler develops a special bond with their pediatrician. Especially young kids shouldn’t feel fear or dread with every visit to their doctor.
Every parent wants their little ones to be comfortable with their doctor as they grow and develop, so one must consider the comfortable dynamic level between the doctor and patient. The best pediatrician knows how to relate well enough to their young patients.
8. Check Your Health Insurance
Even if you find the best choice with the right experience or with good communication and comfort level, you’ll probably not want to choose them if you need to consider paying out a lot every time you visit.
It’s a wise decision to make sure that the practice is within the network of your insurance plan. It shouldn’t be hard to find an in-network provider who meets your criteria. Omega Pediatrics honors mostly all major health insurance providers.
9. Check for Feedback and Reviews
Look into information about pediatricians on online forums and discussion groups where fellow parents have shared their experiences. You can then get an idea of your prospective doctor, their expertise, and their clinical competence.
Feedback reflects the doctor’s relationship with their patients. The first-hand experience of parents provides useful insights into how the doctor treats their patients. It’s always the aim to have a positive experience from every encounter at the clinic.
Choose the Best Pediatrician. Choose Omega Pediatrics.
Trust your instincts and choose a pediatrician you feel comfortable with. Omega Pediatrics of Roswell, Georgia, is your best choice to handle and manage the healthcare needs of your children. Your kids are in the best hands under our care.
Taking into account the tips for choosing the best pediatrician outlined in this article, Omega Pediatrics is your best bet! Your provider is board-certified and backed by credible medical practice. We take pride in our expertise in children’s health.
We have a strong presence in social media—Google ranks us number one! Ask the parents who are our long-time partners—we aim for a positive experience in every encounter. Our young patients—the kids—are happy every time they leave our clinic.
