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Page
7
A
PARENT'S GUIDE TO
DOCTORS, DISABILITIES, AND THE FAMILY
By Suzanne Ripley
To
Summarize...
Your
child may be seen by several doctors, clinics, and hospitals. Ultimately
you, his/her family, are the case managers of your child's services.
Your case manager duties are likely to include choosing a pediatrician,
developing a relationship with him/her, evaluating the situation,
and maintaining any records that result from the visits. Detailed
record keeping is a vital part of your responsibilities. While the
primary care physician and/or tertiary physician or clinic will
maintain files for their records, you should maintain your home
files. Your home files could be as simple as a box full of medical
records or as sophisticated as you choose to have it. Most importantly,
good communication and rapport among your child's team -- you, your
child if appropriate, primary health care provider, early intervention
team, school personnel -- should lead to quality care for your child.
.
Questions
you might want to ask BEFORE THE DOCTOR HAS SEEN YOUR CHILD
Questions to ask on the phone when interviewing doctors.
- Do
you see children with disabilities in your practice?
-
Do you have experience with children who have (describe your child
s disability)?
-
Would you be comfortable working in a medical team situation with
other doctors who will be seeing my child?
- Can
you schedule extra long appointments?
- Who
sees your patients when you are not available?
- Which
hospital so you use for patients who require hospitalization or
hospital tests?
-
What are the facilities of this hospital for children and families
like mine? If my child were hospitalized, would I be allowed to
stay with him/her?
-
After you've examined my child, can you arrange for one of your
staff to watch him/her for a few minutes so we can talk alone?
- Would
there be any additional charges for any of these arrangements?
Questions to ask when scheduling an appointment for your child.
-
I will be needing a longer appointment than most families. Can
we schedule a time when we can have a double appointment?
- My
child has difficulty waiting patiently, is the first appointment
of the morning available or one right after lunch break?
-
If you don't make appointments, what times of day or which days
of the week are least busy?
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