Would you change your kid's doctor for the sake of convenience?

[Minnie_me]

My 12-year old DD has allergies. We live in a rural area, and currently her pediatrician and her allergist are in a suburb about 35 minutes away. Since July, we have been hauling our butts out there once a week for allergy shots. I keep getting flack from local friends who think that we should change DD's primary care physician to the family practitioner here in town. Then she could get her shots right here.

We really like our pediatrician, and would not change under normal circumstances. But this is really taking a toll on us, and I dread the thought of doing it week after week for the next year or more!

Thoughts? Experiences?

 

[okeydokey]

I wonder if there is a general practitioner in the area that you can see just for the shots. Will the primary give you a referral?

My son has been doing shots for 3 years now and we live in a rural area. His allergist is a 45 minute ride away. Thankfully his ped was in our town because I don't think I would have made that round trip once or twice a week. Will he eventually go to every two, three or four weeks?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

You have to decide what is worth more--easy shots, or the beside manner of your PCP.

Tough call. First of all, I think your friends should butt out.

Second--I wouldn't drop the allergist. However, I would consider dropping the ped for a local PCP that does the shots--as a weekly 1h10m commute for something that takes a few minutes is a bit of overkill. I'd still keep up annual/semi-annual checkups with the allergist.

 

[Minnie_me]

My son has been doing shots for 3 years now and we live in a rural area. His allergist is a 45 minute ride away. Thankfully his ped was in our town because I don't think I would have made that round trip once or twice a week. Will he eventually go to every two, three or four weeks?

Oooh -- I forgot about that! She *will* start going less often after a while! That gives me hope! LOL! Right now, it's just almost unbearable. We have an activity immediately after school about halfway between our house and the allergist, and then we go straight to the allergist from the activity. By the time we're done, it's after 6:00, we're 35-40 minutes from home, it's pitch black outside and we're starving. So we have to eat somewhere, and end up not getting home until 7:30-8:00!!!

But thinking ahead to fewer visits..............ahhhhhhhhh

 

[Tamarap]

I probably shouldn't even answer but here goes. If you like the dr and are happy and comfortable with the dr then don't change. I drive 70 miles one way to see my internist. I have asthma and have seen the same dr for 20 years. I keep moving farther and farther away and he moved his office in the other direction too, but I still make the trek. Its very hard to find a dr I like and trust. I think its a very personal decision.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Have you met the local ped? Before I changed I would certainly give them a once around the block somehow before I changed. Would the local be open to a consultation?

Currently I am driving 45 min to dd's ped and her counselor which is once a week.

I did allergy shots for almost 6yrs.

 

[golfgal]

Will the allergist sent the shots to the local dr to get them done there??? We used to be in a similar situation but our allergist was 70 miles away. We didn't do shots but MANY of our friends did. The allergist had a contract or something with the local clinic and everyone would get the shots done there and do their check-ups annually or whatever with the allergist.

 

[clovergirl5]

My 12-year old DD has allergies. We live in a rural area, and currently her pediatrician and her allergist are in a suburb about 35 minutes away. Since July, we have been hauling our butts out there once a week for allergy shots. I keep getting flack from local friends who think that we should change DD's primary care physician to the family practitioner here in town. Then she could get her shots right here.

We really like our pediatrician, and would not change under normal circumstances. But this is really taking a toll on us, and I dread the thought of doing it week after week for the next year or more!

Thoughts? Experiences?

I was faced with this same situation 8 years ago when we moved to our new home in a different city. We had been with our original Ped. since dd13 was born. We moved and it would be a 45min drive to the Ped.
I ended up switching to a family dr. on the recommendation of a friend that was only 15 min away. Big mistake for us. I didn't care for the dr. and I tended to compare him to our original Ped. He wasn't a Ped either which I really wanted to begin with. I ended up going back to our original Ped. and we are still with her. Its a pain to drive 45 min to and back but we deal I guess
I would suggest setting up a consultation appt with the new dr. before you commit to switching. One thing I didn't like was the med center that the family dr. was in, was not kid friendly like the Ped was, it was more cold, public building feeling. There were people of all ages there. And Ped had her own practice and of course their were books, toys, pictures on the walls and just a kid friendly atmosphere. That was important to me. Good luck.

eta... kids didn't have to be at the dr. every week though.

 

[AristocatFan]

Any chance you could give the shots yourself? DH gets weekly shots. I just had to go in and be trained at the allergist. I record everything and he goes in for a follow up everytime he needs a new vial. It's much cheaper too!

 

[luvmy3]

Yes I would, if I was comfortable with the new doc (after doing some research and asking local parents about their experiences). My kids go to a large group practice so I'm not lucky enough to have a great one on one relationship with the doctors there. There are a few I like but if my kids weren't patients of theirs any longer they wouldn't notice, so I wouldn't have any problems switching just for convenience sake. Their files being in someone elses office don't make any difference to me as long as they are good doctors.

 

[bumbershoot]

First I should say that allergy shots were a massive joke with me. Did 'em for over a year, they didn't work for even one instant. What finally helped was getting under chiropractic care...I think it was two visits that caused my allergies to go away, and as long as I stay under care, I'm not allergic anymore. My HS years were horrid until I was dragged into the chiro's office, LOL.

That said, when I had them, I did them myself. I was around 16. It was something like $15 per shot, 3 shots 2 days a week going into the office. So instead they showed me how to do it and I did it.

So, can you ask if you can be shown how to do it?

 

[MrsPete]

Not only WOULD I do this, I DID do this. We changed doctors JUST because the office was so much closer. We only have so much time available, and it does matter.

Though I liked my daughters' pediatition, he wasn't a family friend or anything. He was friendly, efficient . . . but so is the new doctor. I've been satisfied with the move. Of course, my girls are lucky enough not to have an ongoing special needs; they just go to the doctor for check-ups, the occasional shots, and sicknesses.

I'd suggest that you go ahead and change. Give it a couple months, and IF you're unhappy, you can always go back. I wouldn't say, "Stay with a doctor you don't like for the sake of convenience", but I'd give it a shot (pun intended) and see how you like the other doctor.

 

[minkydog]

I have changed both pediatricians and pediatric dentists because of distance. The ped was clear across town and the dentist was in the next county. I loved the ped and the ped dentist because they both had experience with medically fragile children. But the distance was wearing on me and causing tremendous stress.

So I switched to a ped closer to me. the first group I picked had a good reputation, but it wasn't a good fit for us. I moved on to the small group near my house and it's been a match made in heaven. They are every bit as wonderful as the ped across town! I even started taking my children to my own general dentist and he has been wonderful, even with my special needs son. I have no regrets about changing doctors. It has worked out great and I'm no longer driving an hour each way to appointments. My time is important and I don't want to spend it in the car if I don't have to.