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About the Practice
1. Do you take _______________ [name of your insurance]?
2. Is this a solo or group practice? solo / group
· If solo, who covers when the doctor isn't available?________________________
· If group, how often will we see other doctors in the practice? _________________
3. How long has this doctor been in practice? ______ years
4. Does the doctor have any subspecialties? _____________________________________________
5. What are your hours? _____________________________________________________
6. What evening or weekend hours are available? _________________________________
7. Does your practice encourage parents to call for routine/non-emergency questions? yes/no
8. How will we reach you if my child gets sick after hours? __________________________
9. How can I reach the doctor in an emergency? __________________________________
10. When the doctor's not on call, who covers? ________________________________________
11. Which hospitals is the doctor affiliated with? ____________________________________
12. Does the doctor see newborns in the hospital or at the first office visit? ______________________
13. Does the doctor respond to e-mail? yes / no
14. Does the practice have a Web site? yes / no
· If so, what's the URL? _______________________
15. How does the practice handle payments, billing, laboratory charges, and insurance claims? ____________________________________
About the Doctor
Most doctors have only about ten minutes to spare for an interview. If the interview takes longer, some physicians will charge a consultation fee.
1. What do you like best about your job? _________________________________________
2. Do you have children? ______________________________________________________
3. Will you be available for discussions on my child's behavioral developments (discipline issues, social development, etc.)? yes / no
4. Where are your views on:
• bottle- feeding _________________________________________
• circumcision __________________________________________
• antibiotics ____________________________________________
• immunizations ________________________________________
• parenting methods _____________________________________
• childhood obesity _____________________________________
• getting babies to sleep___________________________________
• alternative medicine ___________________________________
Questions to Ask Yourself
If the doctor answers all your questions effectively but your intuition tells you that the relationship won't be a good fit, examine why, and trust your instincts.
1. Was everything clean? yes / no
2. Is the waiting room pleasant and kid-friendly? yes / no
3. Were toys and books available to occupy your child? yes / no
4. Were the office staff and nurses helpful and patient? yes / no
5. How long were you kept waiting? _____ minutes
6. Does your child seem to respond well to the doctor? yes / no
7. Does the doctor seem to welcome questions? yes / no
8. Does the doctor seem to know about the latest medical advances? yes / no
9. Is the doctor's style of communication a good fit with yours? yes / no
10. Is the doctor more inclined to give you directions or offer you options? directions / options
11. Did you feel comfortable with the doctor? yes / no
12. Was parking readily available? yes / no
