January 22, 2009

Test Moms


Sorry to all you who already heard this through an email...you gave me such great ideas that I thought I'd expand it to my bloggin' friends.

Now that I have passed the boards (yeah!!!) and can feel a bit more secure about my job, I have been thinking about ways to improve our practice. The other day I was tossing a few ideas around and trying to think about things from a mom perspective. Suddenly I realized that I have a whole gaggle of moms (and a few interested dads) whose brains I could pick. Lucky me! So, here are a few of the questions that I have been thinking about lately. Feel free to answer honestly. Leave a comment, or cut and paste the whole thing and email me your answers at alissa.packer@gmail.com. I would love to get as much input as possible so even if you don't know me, but somehow stumbled on this blog, feel free to give me your ideas. Thanks!

1. What do you like, or dislike, about your pediatrician?

2. What do you love or hate about your doctor's office? We are going to remodel our office in a few months, so this one is really important. Some ideas...
  • carpet vs laminate flooring
  • bright colors vs neutral
  • themed exam rooms
  • separate waiting rooms vs a front desk that flows nicely (I'm not sure we can have both of these given our current layout)
How much does the look and feel of your doctors office affect which pediatrician you choose? Any suggestions are very welcome!

3. Would it matter to you if you saw the same MA (medical assistant) each time? Would you even notice?

4. Would you be annoyed (even slightly) if you received pre-recorded calls from your pediatricians office reminding you to schedule appointments for things such as
  • well-child checks
  • flu shots
  • asthma check-ups (if your child had asthma)
  • ADHD med checks (if your child had ADHD)
Would these calls make you more likely to make an appointment?

5. If your child has to be admitted to the hospital (heaven forbid), would it matter to you if you saw your own pediatrician or a staff doctor?

6. How do you feel about suckers and stickers at the end of the visit?

I welcome any other tidbits, tips or suggestions with open arms.

8 comments:

Danielle said...

Oh good...I was thinking that you should put this on your blog. I'll link it on mine. Such a good idea!

Camie said...

1. What do you like, or dislike, about your pediatrician?

We go to a great practice called Red Rock Pediatrics, which has about seven doctors working together. We can almost always get in to see a doctor the day we call in sick. They also have a night clinic open at the doctor's office on several nights of the week, which we have used again and again. And they can do some emergency care like stitches and broken bones. Their office is attached to the hospital.

2. What do you love or hate about your doctor's office? We are going to remodel our office in a few months, so this one is really heyimportant. Some ideas...

(Gotta have an aquarium.) At our doctors' office, they have friendly little murals painted on the walls of the rooms and books galore.

carpet vs laminate flooring--laminate (sanitary)
bright colors vs neutral--bright (makes it more of a happy place for kids)
separate waiting rooms vs a front desk that flows nicely--front desk
How much does the look and feel of your doctors office affect which pediatrician you choose? Any suggestions are very welcome!

We switched from our last doctor b/c he was a little creepy and didn't return our phone calls on same day. Look and feel does matter. Cleanliness being first priority. Next being kid-friendly atmosphere.

3. Would it matter to you if you saw the same MA (medical assistant) each time? Would you even notice?

Doesn't matter. I might request to see one if I thought she was particularly good.

4. Would you be annoyed (even slightly) if you received pre-recorded calls from your pediatricians office reminding you to schedule appointments for things such as

well-child checks-no
flu shots-yes
asthma check-ups (if your child had asthma)-don't know
ADHD med checks (if your child had ADHD)-don't know
Would these calls make you more likely to make an appointment? Y

5. If your child has to be admitted to the hospital (heaven forbid), would it matter to you if you saw your own pediatrician or a staff doctor?

Only if history of the illness was a factor in the emergency.

Anonymous said...

1. What do you like, or dislike, about your pediatrician?
I go to Kaiser in CA and my regualr Dr is really hard to get into. She only is there 3 days a week. I like that I can be seen anytime I have a major concern and I also like the advice line. I can always talk to a nurse and avoid some Dr appointments. I also like that they have after hours too.

2. What do you love or hate about your doctor's office? I like that they have a box of toys for my kids to play with and stickers for after the visit. Our regular doctor has a bottle of bubbles she blows after the visit. One room has a poster of dogs. I think that is my girls favorite room.

3. Would it matter to you if you saw the same MA (medical assistant) each time? Would you even notice?
As long as they are nice, happy, cheerful, it does not matter.

4. Would you be annoyed (even slightly) if you received pre-recorded calls from your pediatricians office reminding you to schedule appointments.

It would be nice or maybe an e-mail. Some times a mom forgets!

5. If your child has to be admitted to the hospital (heaven forbid), would it matter to you if you saw your own pediatrician or a staff doctor?
I have never had a child stay over night in the hospital. I would be really impressed if their doctor checked up on them while in the hospital. I know that would be comforting to me. At the same time I know the demands on the Dr's and they may not have time to run a practice and to be at the hospital too.

Alicia said...

Hey Alissa, I found your blog from somewhere, I don't remember where now. But anyway, I have been to the doctor, with on going ear infections between my two boys, over a dozen times these past two months. I felt like I could give you an opinion anyway. Where are you working? I tried to see if my insurance covered you, but couldn't find you.

1. My pediatrician is very honest about the situation. He doesn't put my kids on medicine just because. He is very personable and never makes me feel silly for bringing my kids in. I don't know if I can think of any dislikes. He pays attention to the kids and tries to ease their fears of the doctor.

2. I really liked the old office before they remodeled. They had a seperate, small room, for those kids who weren't sick. It was nice when they were babies and going into a well check up. I didn't have to expose them to all the sick ones. The new office has a huge fish take that usually occupies my kids while we wait. I wish there was a little more for them to do when they are behind. They have little chairs the kids can play on.
Carpet
Neutral
Themed exam rooms
I think the whole layout and comfort of the exam room plays a huge roll in the pediatrition.

3. It matters to me a ton. I notice every time. I am comfortable with the MA and am familiar especially with how she does shots. When a substitute appears, I feel a little hesitant on her knowledge, even if she does work for another doctor in the same office.

4.I love them

5. I am more comfortable with my own pediatrition. He knows my kids and knows the situation. I have been given advice from him long enough that I trust his opinion. If I do see another doctor, I usually schedule a follow up with my own doctor just to talk to him about the situation. Maybe I'm just weird.

Hopefully, it all makes sense.

Rachel Mae said...

1. What do you like, or dislike, about your pediatrician?
We just switched pediatricians because our old ones RUSHED through the visits, literally answering questions while walking out the door. They didn't even ask if I had questions. I had to force them on them. Also, they were very dismissive of my motherly insticts (i.e. when I thought my daughter's cold was caused by teething and ended up being right). I love our current one because she takes time to really explain things and answer questions. She also seems more open to the decisions we've made (e.g. to not give our daughter a bottle). Also, one thing that really turned me off to the first doctor was the recommendation of a "sleep trianing" book when my daughter was around 4 months old. I would appreciate a doctor who is open to all types of "sleep trianing"--including the decision to NOT do it (and to co-sleep).


2. What do you love or hate about your doctor's office? We are going to remodel our office in a few months, so this one is really important. Some ideas...


carpet vs laminate flooring--never thought about it, though carpet seems cozier (but is it dirtier?).

bright colors vs neutral--I think it's more important that you like it since you'll be there all the time.

themed exam rooms--not a big fan, frankly. Unless it looks more classic than Finding Nemo and the like. But maybe with older kids it's better?

separate waiting rooms vs a front desk that flows nicely (I'm not sure we can have both of these given our current layout)--separate!! (for well and sick children).

How much does the look and feel of your doctors office affect which pediatrician you choose? Any suggestions are very welcome! Not very much; however, my current pediatrician offers a whole different clinic for well visits, which is amazing. Having my child get sick is my number one worry when going to the doctor's, so any division between sick and well is great.

3. Would it matter to you if you saw the same MA (medical assistant) each time? Would you even notice? Doubt I'd notice.

4. Would you be annoyed (even slightly) if you received pre-recorded calls from your pediatricians office reminding you to schedule appointments for things such as

well-child checks
flu shots
asthma check-ups (if your child had asthma)
ADHD med checks (if your child had ADHD)
Would these calls make you more likely to make an appointment?

Wouldn't bother me (though emails would be more effective) and it would make it more likely.

5. If your child has to be admitted to the hospital (heaven forbid), would it matter to you if you saw your own pediatrician or a staff doctor?
Yes, I'd love to see my own ped. if possible.

Todd and Megan said...

CONGRATS on passing you boards (as if there was any doubt)!!! Won't comment on the other since I am not a mom yet, but will pass the questions on to my sister!

Kim Smith said...

I am so happy to hear about your boards. I wasn't surprised, but glad to know the relief it brings. Congratulations. This is the culmination of many invested years. Way to go!!
I love Rice Cereal. Sweet little Spoon Sucking Ella! What fun!

Lisa said...

Hi al, I have a few comments on this topic! Eli has been hospitalized 3 times in his little life, not including the 2 month stay in the NICU, and I can say that it's very important to see your own pediatrician or at the very least someone from the practice during the hospitalization. He was there for 5 days each time and we had someone from the practice visit every day which meant so much to me during that difficult time.
Very important in a remodel - have a separate waiting room for well children and babies. Being a mom of 2 preemies I would have changed practices had they not had this option.
I love themed rooms and bright colors for kids.
I would love, love a reminder call for checkups, shots, etc.
Wouldn't care if I saw the same MA each time. One thing that's important to me as a nurse and a mom is tag-teaming shots - have 2 MAs give a shot in each leg at the same time, very helpful for mom and baby.
Good luck and I'm proud of you and all your hard work!