When you call your pediatrician with a question...

If you're concerned about something, does the doctor always speak to you or does the receptionist or a nurse answer your question? And also do they take your child's name and record your concern for follow up? I'm just curious because every time I've ever called, I just get an answer from the receptionist or sometimes they put a nurse on to talk to me. And thy never record my concerns in my dds chart. Just wondering if that's normal or not, or if I should be looking for a different pediatrician. I don't call that often but some of the things I've called about are when she had diarrhea for 4 days, hasn't been eating solids at all for a couple days, things like that. When I called about the diarrhea a nurse spoke to me, and when I called about the not eating the receptionist told me its normal and that was it. Shouldn't she have at least offered to let me speak to a nurse or doctor?
Oh and once when I was sick dh called to ask if I could take cold medicine while breastfeeding and he got a rude reply from the receptionist that we should ask my OB. (This was when dd was 5 months old, not when i was pregnant)
We like the doctor and don't want to switch, but I don't like being made to feel like my concerns about my dds health are unimportant. Am I just expecting too much for a doctor to speak to me or for them to at least write down that I called?

Message edited 6/7/2013 8:01:18 PM.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

When I call with a question, the doctor always calls me back. I wouldn't accept an answer from a receptionist, sorry! I'm not sure if they make a note of these calls in my DS chart, but I assume so. I've never really called for anything that needed follow-up, though.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Usually a nurse will call back.

When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Everytime we call, we always speak to one of the nurses, never the doctor. And the doctor never mentions it when we have a visit. I think that's pretty typical.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

A busy ped will likely be with a patient... Or more... Running around and will be hard to get a hold of.

An idea would be to bring up the topic with your ped at your next appointment. Sometimes even the best doctors have inappropriate staff.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

We always speak with a nurse unless it's after hours of course. I don't like the receptionist giving answers unless it's something very, very common and simple. Our practice does not do this. I think in the future I'd request (demand if necessary) to speak to a nurse at least. As far as making notes in the chart, I really don't know if they do as it's never come up.

And as a side note, when I was pregnant I asked my OB if a medication would be ok after I delivered and was breastfeeding. He told me to ask my Ped, because "some of them are very picky about those things". My Ped gladly looked it up for me and said it was fine. They absolutely should not have made you feel dumb about that, what A-holes!

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

It depends. Usually the receptionist will give me an answer (and sometimes I am fine with that), but I can still ask to have the Dr call back if I want. If it is something more serious , they will usually have the dr call me back anyway and then it's recorded in the chart.

Message edited 6/7/2013 10:21:40 AM.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

our ped or whoever is covering if its a weekend will call us back. i've never spoken to a nurse or the receptionist.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

we always get a call back from a doctor - not necessarily dd's doctor but someone int he practice

When you call your pediatrician with a question...

I usually talk with one of the office staff. They'll put me on hold to talk with the doctor and then let me know what the doctor said. There are no nurses at the practice as for as I know.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

after hours my DR or DR on call calls me back.

During regular hours if the reciponist answers she tells me she will ask the doctor and call me back.

If the nurse answers if its a simple question she will answer or she will say she will talk to the DR and call me back.

dont know if they make note of it in her chart though

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Sometimes if it's an easy thing (e.g., my newborn scratched herself near her eye, can I use neosporin?), the receptionist will answer. If I call and say that I'd like to leave a message for my ped to call me, he always calls me back at the end of the day.

When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Either a nurse or the doctor

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

The doctor always calls me back

When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Only the Dr. I have even said can I speak to the Dr or Nurse and they always have the Dr give me a call

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Receptionist has dr call me back and im sure she always notes it on the chart Bc the dr will always ask the next time we're there how that worked out.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

When I call with a question or concern, I relay it to the nurse/receptionist. She will then ask the doctor when he is not in with a patient and she calls me back with an answer (it's never been more than 30 min.). I've never spoken to my pediatrician directly over the phone, but he is the one answering my questions via the receptionist. I don't see anything wrong with this and am not concerned that he doesn't speak to me himself.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

My ped always calls me back. He doesn't have a nurse. And he always notes the chart when I call.

When you call your pediatrician with a question...

the nurse usually calls me back. but they do record everything. Even my ob. I called the on call on night while pregnant and the next time I saw my r she knew about.

Most times the nurse says she has to call back after she speaks with the dr

When you call your pediatrician with a question...

As a clinician, that office sounds horrible. Dr might be great, but I'd support staff isn't top notch, it ruins the office. Every. Single. Complaint should be written up in DDs chart, even for their own legal protection.

I say find a new dr.

Also, whenever I call I always get either my dr, or PA/NP. Receptionists should never touch clinical stuff.

When you call your pediatrician with a question...

Dr. will call me back or the nurse will get an answer from the dr and they call back with what the Dr said.

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

nurse takes info

then one of two things may happen

she speaks with doctor and calls me back

or

doctor calls me back

Re: When you call your pediatrician with a question...

first time whoever answered the phone told us to come in,

second and third time was after office hours and all calls are forwarded to one of the 3 doctors. The dr picked up the phone and answered our questions.