To find a new restaurant, almost any search engine does the trick—and the same goes for many other goods and services, from shopping stores to hairdressers. Unfortunately, that’s not how finding a pediatrician works.
“The internet is not the best place to get information because it’s anonymous and a lot of people share grievances [more than the] positives,” says Dr. Liza Natale of Pediatric Associates of NYC. So what’s a new parent to do?
The first step is to get some recommendations. Natale suggests checking with fellow parents who have already chosen a pediatrician or getting a list of personally approved doctors from your own physician. If you’re consulting friends, Dr. Michel Cohen of Tribeca Pediatrics recommends asking about their doctors’ availability. “How fast do you get answers when you visit, and, in an emergency, will you really be able to reach your pediatrician?”
To that point, Dr. Judith Goldstein of Global Pediatrics notes the increasing presence of “group practices.” This means that doctors share on-call shifts at night, on weekends, and during holidays—so taking more than 30 minutes to call back for an emergency isn’t acceptable.
Other times, it’s about who you can get in with in the first place. Check various pediatric offices for group visits and presentations, free meet-and-greets, and other prenatal-specific services.
Patience is key. A doctor should be open to questions without making parents feel silly, Natale says. Cohen, however, notes that some parents do find it reassuring to have a more authoritative sounding board.
The one thing to get a second opinion on, Cohen cautions, is medication. “It gets tricky if you ask their approach and they say that they try to be very hands off—when in reality they’ll prescribe medication every visit.”
Keep reading for our 2013 Health & Wellness Guide for families.
