How to Find a Reputable Pediatrician When You Relocate

For parents, there are few things more important than the health and happiness of their kids. While you certainly have to worry about things like holding down a job in order to pay the bills, keeping a clean home, and staying on top of errands, you’ll find that the majority of your time and energy goes into caring for your children in one way or another. So it is no doubt extremely important that you find a pediatrician that can give your kids the best possible medical care and ensure their ongoing health and wellness. And when you move to a new location, this could require you to mount an extensive and thorough search. So here are just a few considerations that should help you to narrow down the options and choose the best pediatrician for your family.

1. Ask for referrals. Whenever you’re seeking services in your area it’s a good idea to go about collecting trusted referrals. Even if you’re new to town you’ll likely meet people you can ask, such as neighbors, coworkers, teachers – heck, even the lady at the grocery checkout might be able to give you a good referral (or warn you away from a practice you should avoid). At the very least this will give you a better place to start than, say, looking on YellowPages.com.

2. Check your network. Whether your medical insurance has an online portal or you have to call a representative, you can ask your provider to give you a list of pediatricians in your area (within a 30-mile radius of your home, for example) that are plan-approved. This will familiarize you with the options that are available, as well as those that are covered by your insurance. Although you may ultimately end up selecting a doctor that’s not on your approved list (and paying for care out-of-pocket), this is a good place to start your search.

3. Schedule consultations. Once you’ve got a list of candidates it’s time to meet with them. You may go by yourself or bring your kids along for the appointments. Either way the goal is to get a feeling for the pediatricians in your area to see if they seem knowledgeable and trustworthy. And if you’ve got your kids in tow you can check their bedside manner, as well. No matter how great a doctor looks on paper, you’re not going to take in your kids if your first impression is lackluster.

4. Look for experience. Pediatricians that have been in practice for a while almost certainly have more to offer in the way of both knowledge and experience. Through ongoing education (both formal and via patient interactions), pediatricians can learn to better diagnose and treat health issues in children, and this is exactly what you want when your child is in pain and you don’t know why.

5. Use Google. You might be surprised by the information you can turn up online these days concerning a practice or doctor reputation. Not only can you likely find reviews of their practices, but you may also discover personal or professional profiles on sites like Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites, giving you further clues as to whether or not you want them to see to the health of your children. And of course, you can likely find articles that they’ve published in medical journals, which could let you know how their education and views on medicine have progressed throughout the time they’ve been practicing. In short, Google can provide you with one-stop shopping when it comes to uncovering information pertaining to pediatricians in your new area.