There is no greater decision than whom to trust with your child’s healthcare and development. You need an experienced pediatrician who may recognize an obscure symptom, but you also need someone who can soothe them when they are sick or scared. What are some of the characteristics that make the difference? An experienced pediatrician could put the child, and the parents, at ease.
Good Communication Skills
Emotions can run high when it comes to sick children. The ability to communicate effectively with both the adults and the children is key. An experienced pediatrician asks questions clearly and simply, and watches for signs of pain in the child’s response, realizing that non-verbal cues are just as important. The ability to analyze information and communicate it back to the child and the parent is essential to helping the child get healthy.
Understanding Diverse Cultures
Learning the sensitivities of your patients can only help; an experienced pediatrician is aware of that. Knowledge of cultural practices, such as what foods they eat and their customs, could help in discovering a missing factor in a child’s health. Having some knowledge of other languages is also an advantage which aids in communication.
Experienced Pediatricians Stay Focused
It’s been said children don’t come with a handbook! No two are the same. Each child presents a unique set of illnesses and reactions. Of course, the ability to put their various reactions together, like a puzzle, is a good sign of an experienced pediatrician. The way to do that is to stay knowledgeable; gather data, analyze it according to education and experience, and apply it practically. Concentration is an important trait.
Organizational Skills
The last thing you need is the extra worry of waiting for a result. You need to find an experienced pediatrician who knows how to juggle patient load, paperwork, phone calls and lab results. Often, the office staff is critical to directing the flow of paperwork, but the doctor should understand office procedures and be able to process patients in a timely manner.
Don’t Settle
Looking for an experienced pediatrician can be daunting. It’s often hit and miss, but it doesn’t have to be!! You can stop by Pediatric Healthcare of Northwest Houston, take a look around and learn about the quality care available. Call 281-655-1500 for help near Houston and 936-539-8190 for The Woodlands/Conroe area.
