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Choosing a right pediatrician is one of the most important choices I make for my baby. Therefore I am very serious about how I find a good pediatrician who is willing to work with me, especially since I might have a different baby vaccination schedule rather than the standard one.
The following are the questions I collected to interview a potential pediatrician for my baby (some resources are from http://www.babycenter.com):
About the Practice (staff and office):
1. Do you take _______________ [name of your insurance]?
2. Is this a solo or group practice? Solo / group
• If solo, who covers when the doctor isn’t available?
• if group, how often will we see other doctors in the practice?
3. How long has this doctor been in practice?
4. Does the doctor have any subspecialties?
5. How long has the pediatrician been in practice?
6. How long in advance must I book appointments?
7. What are your hours and will these hours meet your needs?
8. What evening or weekend hours are available?
9. What is the schedule of well-baby visit during the first year of life?
10. How will we reach you if my child gets sick after hours?
11. Does your practice encourage parents to call for routine/non-emergency questions?
12. How can I reach the doctor in an emergency?
13. When the doctor’s not on call, who else covers?
14. Is there a specific time during the day that the doctor will take phone calls, and how does the office handle your phone-in questions?
15. Which hospitals is the doctor affiliated with?
16. How soon after the baby is born will the pediatrician come to see it at the hospital?
17. How does the practice handle payments, billing, laboratory charges, and insurance claims?
18. Are immunization shots extra, or are they included in the office visit charge?
About the Doctor:
1. Do you have children?
2. How do you feel about mothers calling in after hours over “little things”?
3. Will you be available for discussions on my child’s behavioral developments (discipline issues, social development, etc.)?
4. Where are your views on:
• antibiotics
• immunizations
• parenting methods
• getting babies to sleep
• alternative medicine
5. I would like to use a different vaccination schedule than the standard one. Are you willing to work with me on that?
Questions to Ask Yourself :
1. Is everything clean?
2. Is the waiting room pleasant and kid-friendly?
3. Were toys and books available to occupy your child?
4. Were the office staff and nurses helpful and patient?
5. How long were you kept waiting?
6. Does the doctor seem to welcome questions?
7. Does the doctor seem to know about the latest medical advances?
8. Is the doctor’s style of communication a good fit with yours?
9. Is the doctor more inclined “let-me-handle-everything” attitude or include you in medical decision-making?
10. Did you feel comfortable with the doctor caring your baby? Trust your instincts.