Your child's healthcare should only be entrusted to the most reputable professionals. Of course, finding a medical professional is easier said than done. Credentials alone cannot tell you if a pediatrician is best suited to handle your child's healthcare needs. Here are a few ways to ensure you land on the best person for the job.

Seek Recommendations From Your Friends and Family

Choosing a pediatrician is an important decision. With a decision like that, you only want input from the people you trust the most. That would be your friends and family.

Hopefully, you have friends and family in your area who have worked with some local doctors. If that's the case, you can use their experiences to your benefit. Ask them which pediatricians they have consulted and if they would recommend any of them. You should be able to create a shortlist from those recommendations.

Consider Your Child's Healthcare Needs

According to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, an estimated 14.1 million American children had a special healthcare need from 2019 to 2020. That accounts for nearly 20% of the child population in the U.S. at that time. There's a chance your child also has a special healthcare need that a specialist must address. Make sure the doctor you're considering consulting can meet your child's specific healthcare needs.

Check the Doctor's Office Hours

A specific doctor may possess every quality you're looking for in someone who will care for your child, but hiring them could still be unwise due to scheduling matters. Before you get too invested in the idea of hiring a particular healthcare provider, you should check their office hours. Do their hours make sense for your schedule? If their hours don't work now, you can check later if your schedule opens up or changes.

Sit Down for an Interview With the Doctor

The best way to know your child's potential doctor is to have a conversation with them. During that interview, you can ask about their experience and their availability. Their answers to those questions should help you determine if working with them makes sense for your child. You should also bring your child to the interview to meet and interact with the doctor.

Choosing the right pediatrician can make a huge difference in your child's life. Take your time getting to know doctors to ensure you make the right pick. We can also help with your child's healthcare needs. Reach out to us at Great Beginnings Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine today if you're looking for experts in child healthcare.