Interesting New Policy at My Drs. Office

[agnes!]

I'd DEFINITELY be finding another Doctor. That seems pretty unreasonable to me.

I had a Dentist try tell me that I couldn't be in the room with my 3 year old for his check-up. I thought that was absolutely ridiculous. I told him that I couldn't do that, he's not old enough. The Doc. brought me back to his office and said that was his policy, I said that's fine I'll have to go somewhere else. He tried to tell me the only place that would accept a 'toddler' was city X, (about 90 miles away from me) or city Y, (about 60 miles away). I said I'd stay right here in this city thanks. I found plenty that would gladly take him as a patient.

Most Doctor's are really good, but a few can get a real God complex sometimes.

Un-freakin-believable. Yeah, RIGHT, I should leave my child with an adult(I don't care WHO it is), while they are poking around in the child's mouth & possibly administering medications & perhaps scaring said child?!? Sounds like a plan for disaster. Your old dentist's demand sounds totally unreasonable. Good for you! You *LEFT* & found another, BETTER dentist.

agnes!

 

[Florida_Mom]

I can just imagine it now: I've been up all night with a sick child, a nervous wreck because I have to wait until 8 a.m. to call the dr. to make an appointment for first thing, and now added to that stress is the fact that I need to find a sitter for my other child. Um....no. If that option was readily available I'm sure most parents would do that, but it's not at all realistic!

I would take my children with me to the peds office, and make them deal with it. Then, I'd find a new doctor.

 

[justhat]

I would have to switch. We don't live near any family so I would have to call a friend (all of whom have 2 or 3 young kids of their own) to watch 1 of mine while I took the other to the dr or get a babysitter. I don't have a babysitter, never have, so I'd have to find one specifically to take my kid to the dr, which would really be tough for sick visits I'm sure.

 

[briannesmom]

DD's pediatricians office has the same policy. I questioned the policy when we were looking for a ped. before DD was born. I was told that we would not be turned away if we brought more than one child to the appointment, it was more of a suggestion. They do have a little desk with coloring books and stuff in the office area and I have seen kids at it a few times. I am assuming when Mom or Dad was in the room with the other child.
I was told they have this rule to keep things on schedule. Because too many times an appointment is made for Suzy to check on her runny nose and Mom brings Billy and Bobby along too. Since we are here can you also look at Billys sore throat and Bobbys big toe?
It seems to work pretty well because I have never had to wait more than a few minutes after our appointed time to see the Dr.

Amy

 

[miss missy]

I haven't read more than the OP, but it sounds like they are stopping you from having a 2nd child seen for something while you "have the Dr". Not meaning you, meaning others. That is my guess, otherwise it doesn't make sense. Who can leave kid/kids home and run to an appt. Non sense!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

WOW! i would def. look for a new Dr.

 

[Michie]

Well, I for one would love this policy. I know at our doctors office, a majority of the patients seem to bring their extended family. What on earth for, I don't know. But there is hardly ever any room to sit. Last time I was there, they had a big sign that said NO DOGS Must wear shirt and shoes.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

I know our old pediatrician had a rule about only one child being in the exam room at a time the other child had to remain in the waiting room or just don't bring them---We never had a problem with it as he was great and we never had a problem getting in touch with him at any hour--He would spend time with us and go over every bit of info he had given us and we rarely ever had to wait long to be seen--the waiting room was clean and only the people who actually needed to be there was

Our original pediatrician(he was also mine when I was little) had sick and well sides in his waiting room and the receptionist would direct you to which side you needed to be on depending on the reason for your visit

Our pediatrician now is a cattle call unfortunately---We can get into a room and sit there for at least a 1/2 an hour before being seen and while waiting we can hear the mom with her 2+ kids across the hall and their door opening 6/7 times before they leave meaning the doctor has had to go in and out of that room that many times before they can move onto the lab or xray or whatever---Then when he gets to us I tell him exactly why we are there,don't try to add any extra while I got you heres,go thru the exam and are on our way to the next stop within 10/15 minutes

I think the policy change is more of a courtesy to those who do what they came to do and go instead of those who make a trip to the doctors as a family outing---That being said if it is a routine appt there's no reason one shouldn't be able to get care for their other children--but if it is a last minute Bobby's puking his guts out hopefully they would be able to make some accomadations

 

[cats mom]

Well, I have to admit I think I understand where they're coming from.

Just one example: Last time I took DD to her Ped. there was a mom with three kids in tow and all three were absolutely bouncing off the walls in the waiting room. They were sooo out of control! I can't even imagine what it was like for the Dr. trying to assess the patient and communicate with mom with the commotion I'm sure was taking place in that tiny patient room.

And it would have been even worse (at least for those of us left in the waiting room) if mom had NOT taken her unruly crew back with her.
Plus I don't think it's the dr's responsibility to provide supervision for siblings in the waiting room or to expect nurses, receptionists, or other office staff to keep them occupied.

That said, even though I try to have just the child being seen with me (for my sanity - not the Dr's convenience) there have been times when it just is not possible... so I guess I'd be one of the folks out looking for a new Dr. if our Ped adopted that policy.

Funny though, one of my children sees a neurologist and I have re-scheduled an appointment with him when I did not have child care for my youngest DD. No written policy about it that I'm aware of - I just knew instinctively it wouldn't fly with him.

 

[darrose]

Wow, I cant believe people are ok with leaving their young children alone in the waiting room while they are in the examination room.
I would be far more critical of the person who left a two year old in the waiting room while the 3 month old was having its checkup in the examination room. Heck, sometime the wait is longer in the examination room than in the waiting room.
Also, if someone kidnapped the 2 year old in the waiting room who would be at fault? the parent who left her unsupervised or the doctor whose rule wouldnt let her take the sibling in?

 

[Maleficent13]

Did I miss something? I admit it's early, and I may have, but I don't remember reading any responses where the poster said they'd leave their other children in the waiting room unattended...

 

[darrose]

argggh...trying to figure out quoting lol

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I'm fortunate that I have grandparents that can babysit. If I didn't, it would be hard to find a babysitter during the day.

All of my high school age babysitters would be in school! I do have a friend that is also a SAHM (she has 4 and I have 3) and we help each other out for teacher conferences and well visits. We don't do it for sick visits because we don't want to cross contaminate! I would find another doctor pronto.

Lori

 

[darrose]

DD's pediatricians office has the same policy. I questioned the policy when we were looking for a ped. before DD was born. I was told that we would not be turned away if we brought more than one child to the appointment, it was more of a suggestion. They do have a little desk with coloring books and stuff in the office area and I have seen kids at it a few times. I am assuming when Mom or Dad was in the room with the other child.

Amy

Also, would like to point out that my ped doesnt have this policy AND our wait times are not long either. (Unless some kind of emergency situation arises and thats understandable)

 

[LisaNJ25]

I'm not sure if this matters to any of your responses or not, but we are military dependents, fully covered under Tricare, so we don't actually pay for anything when we see the doctor. So in a way, it is kind of a trade-off - free medical care, but you have to find your own childcare.

I have no co-pay either and all of my drs appts, medical procedures and so on are covered 100% but I would still be looking for a new Dr.

The only day I would have anyone to help with my kids is on Thursdays which is my moms day off ( adn if she doesnt have plans). Both my pediatrician and my sons othodontist are off that day.

I always have atleast 2 with me.. if its for one of the older kids than I may have 3. There has been times I have had to bring all 4. If I have my oldest with me I will leave him in the waiting room with one of the younger ones so we all dont have to go into the room.

 

[pixiepower1971]

That being said if it is a routine appt there's no reason one shouldn't be able to get care for their other children--but if it is a last minute Bobby's puking his guts out hopefully they would be able to make some accomadations[/QUOTE]

Yes, I have many times that I cannot get child care for my kids. My girls are now 8 and 10. I homeschool. My husband is in the military. We move quite often. He is deployed a lot. We have no family in town. When we move I don't know anyone in town to leave them with. Even after we meet people it takes a while to get to know them well enough to leave your child with them. And during the day ...well, that is not easy.

My 10 year old is ok in the waiting room. My 8 year old...I wouldn't be comfortable if I hadn't been to that dr before.

All that being said, I would not patronize a dr with such a policy. I can see the benefits but the policiy would not work for us.

 

[buddy&wooz]

*Less chance of spreading illness (although if your sibling is sick, you are exposed to the illness at home anyway, right?)

Better ways to deal with this- no toys/books in the sick waiting room (parents will have to bring their own), quickly moving sick children out of the waiting area into examining rooms, wiping down surfaces in the waiting room with disinfectant often...

*Less crowding in the waiting area

again, move patients more quickly into examining rooms, or make the waiting area larger (maybe instead of changing policy they could expand the office if it's a real issue?)

*Better patient care, from both parent and doctor

Parents of more than one child learn to juggle all their needs. Doctors should learn to be patient and ignore distracting sibling chatter/whining/etc. If a pediatrician can't deal with annoying little kids, then maybe she should switch specialties?

If there are specific families with out of control kids who are annoying the other patients/doctors/nurses then the practice manager needs to step up and talk with those specific families, not inconvenience everyone else. And our doctor will NOT look at a sibling unless I specify when I make the appointment that I have two kids to be seen, AND I pay the additional copay. I know, I tried once .

I would switch doctors.

 

[Puffy2]

I would speak with the physican about it and let them know that although I understand the logistics that he/she must consider with running their office, it is not practical for you as a parent with more than one child to "leave the other children at home".

Beyond that, if the "policy" continued, I'd find a new doctor who was more "family friendly" and ask for my records to be transfered. I'm sorry, but for a pediatrican's office, this policy is ridiculous.

 

[TwingleMum]

I think this policy will last 2 minutes, especially if people threaten to leave the practice.

 

[mariolatry]

I'm surprised they didn't mention another big reason for this policy: people try to get two for the price of one!

Mom brings Timmy in because he has a funny rash but "While we're here, Tommy has an earache and Susie hasn't pooped in two days". The doctor's schedule is thrown all to h**l because he has to look at three kids in the space of one appointment and Mom thinks she should only have to pay one co-pay because it's all one visit. The liability factor is huge too. I totally understand where you're doctor is coming from on this one.

If I disagreed with the policy, I wouldn't go to that doctor. Otherwise, I'd suck it up. It's his office, he can do what he wants.