Pediatrician calls

wholenewworld · May 2013

If/when you call the pediatrician's office with a question, do you actually get to speak to a pediatrician or a nurse? I get talking to a nurse for common things like stuffy noses, but there are some things I think that a pediatrician should answer no offense to any nurses out there. I have called a few times about a condition my son has and with some developmental concerns and never actually get to talk to his doctor. What is your experience calling your pedis office? Just wondering if it is like this everywhere or if I should be looking to switch. Thanks!

mattanda2011 · May 2013

Just from working at a pedi office I specifically did the triage phone often times we would email or call the doctor before calling the family back, and then if it was something more serious or that the pedi was concerned about then they would call the family directly. But even some things that seemed bigger the doctor would still weigh in on it, but you may not hear the dr voice. That's at least the practice where I worked and now where my DD goes.
HTH

artroyer · May 2013

mattanda2011:
Just from working at a pedi office I specifically did the triage phone often times we would email or call the doctor before calling the family back, and then if it was something more serious or that the pedi was concerned about then they would call the family directly. But even some things that seemed bigger the doctor would still weigh in on it, but you may not hear the dr voice. That's at least the practice where I worked and now where my DD goes.
HTH

Yupp. I may only talk to a nurse or the receptionist but they always consult the doctor before getting back to me. Unless it's serious. Like when DD had RSV, I talked to two different doctors there over the course of the week. I'd be willing to bet the same thing happens at your office

jkuhmann · May 2013

In my experience working for several different doctors (none pedi, though), they are always wary about getting on the phone with a patient, simply because their schedules are so booked and they can't risk getting into a long, in-depth conversation with a patient or parent because they have appointments to keep and other work to do. So, whoever is taking/returning the call usually consults with the doctor first and then returns the call. It's not as big of a deal if they get caught in a long conversation.

I'm sure your pediatrician is being consulted and is aware of what is going on with your LO, but if you feel there is more you want to talk about with him/her, I would make an appointment.

pitterpatter129 · May 2013

If I call I get the "nurse line" - the nurses handle all calls. I've never had an issue that really warranted speaking to the actual doctor, but I'm positive I could leave a message asking for the pedi to call me back and they would. Caleb's pediatrician returns phone calls herself if she called you and made a few calls when he was having jaundice issues just to check on us. We go to a big group practice, but they are all friendly, caring doctors. My OB always returned calls himself too. So, if you are looking for a more hands-on doctor, they do exist. Have you asked the nurse to leave a message for the doctor?