The Importance of Regular Checkups

People are generally not keen on seeing a doctor unless they’re sick or an emergency warrants it. It’s mentality that primarily springs from a financial reason: If you’re feeling OK, then you must be healthy, so why shell out money for an unnecessary visit to the doctor?

Unfortunately, how you feel in not always the best barometer of your health. Through regular checkups, the physician can spot irregularities or early signs of health problems. And in newborns to six-year-old kids, this is even more important. They’re at a formative period where their bodies are undergoing a lot of changes. Their growth and development need to be monitored regularly to ensure they are in good health. Developmental delays and other anomalies can be spotted sooner and treated earlier, giving your kids a fighting chance to have normal healthy lives.

By taking your kids to a good pediatrician regularly, you’ll receive valuable advice on how to encourage your kids’ physical and psychosocial progress, as well as be updates on what vaccines they need.Do not afraid to ask if you don’t understand what the doctor says, what the test results mean, or what the medicine he prescribes is for. A well-informed parent is a smart and responsible parent. Ideally, you should meet in person your short-listed choices before deciding. Some doctors may welcome the interview, others may not. That would probably narrow down your list further. You may be reluctant to go through this selection process, but remember that your children’s health I is not something to be taken lightly. You should at least give this procedure a shot. Who knows, you might find the right one in the first pediatrician you’ve talked to. To help you along, here are some things you have to consider:

• Would you rather have a pediatrician or a family doctor?
• If the doctor is a pediatrician, what is his subspecialty?
• Would you rather have someone who is also a parent?
• What are his credentials? If this sounds too forward, you can ask where he studied, trained, and practiced. Make sure that he is board-certified.
• What medical organizations is he a member of? It’s not always a guarantee, but being part of a professional association can mean that the doctor keeps abreast of the advances in his field.
• If your kids have special needs, does the doctor have the necessary experience or the training to handle your kids?
• How often does he expect you to bring your children in for checkups? What kind of checkups and exams will he do?
• What are his positions on certain health issues, such as breastfeeding, the use of antibiotics, and others which you deem important?
• Which hospital/s is he affiliated with? If your kids have to be brought to a hospital, which one, and where is it.
• How much does he charge for appointments or consultations?
• Does he belong to your HMO or health-insurance company’s network of health-care providers?
• Is it convenient to get to the doctor’s clinic?
• Are the operating hours workable with you and your kid’s schedules?
• Will the doctor take or return phone calls and text messages, in case you have a question? Can he also be contacted in the evenings?
• Is the clinic clean and organized?
• In the clinic, how are the healthy patients protected from those with contagious disease? Os there a separated area?
• What happens when the doctor is on leave? Will you be notified? Who will take his place and what are his credentials?

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