Preparing for your appointment

Our Family Advisory Board developed the following list of tips for setting and preparing for appointments and keeping your child's medical history to help you make the most of your time with your health care team.

Call 1.800.KIDS DOC first

If you are making your first appointment with any physician in a new area and you call from outside the hospital, call 1.800.KIDS DOC first. While you may have seen other physicians at Children's Memorial, you may need to make a first-time appointment in a new area through KIDS DOC. Be prepared to share all your pre-registration information, such as your name, address and insurance, and your primary care physician's contact information.

Confirm your appointment

Be sure to call and confirm your appointment ahead of time. At your first appointment, ask how best to confirm future appointments.

Ask if lab work will be necessary

You might find that after your first appointment that blood work, urine specimens, or other advanced lab tests may be necessary prior to future appointments. If so, ask if you can have the tests done at your local hospital or through your pediatrician as it may save you and your child a trip to the lab. If you are having advanced tests done, be sure to ask the outpatient center where the results should be faxed or sent, and bring a copy of the results to your next appointment. This can prevent having tests performed more than once on your child.

Write out questions

Write down your list of questions in advance. If you know grandparents or other family members have questions of their own, write those down as well. That way, you'll be ready to make the most of your visit.

Pack smart

Pack as if you will be away from home for a full day, and bring everything you are likely to need for the next 12 to 24 hours. Remember to include things for both you and your child, such as medication, snacks, toothbrushes and reading material.

A few more things to know:

• Your outpatient center will not have ready access to diapers or formula.
• If your child needs prescription medication, bring it along, even if you are going to the Emergency Department. It is the best way to ensure your child has the medicine he or she needs immediately, and more convenient than having to reorder medication through the hospital pharmacy after your arrival.
• Create a “magic bag” with favorite books and toys, food/formula, diapers, a change of clothes, blanket, change for the vending machine, medication, as well as some items for you, such as books or magazines.

Be patient

As much as we try to make sure you are seen at your scheduled appointment time, delays do happen. Things that can make your appointments run smoothly include:

• Be on time. This will help you avoid additional delays.
• Keep a level head. Try to remain calm while you wait for your appointment. It will help to make it a productive visit with your doctor.
• Be first. Schedule your appointments first thing in the morning or the afternoon.
• Stack appointments. If your child sees multiple doctors at Children's Memorial, see if you can schedule the appointments one right after another.

Schedule follow-up appointments while still at the hospital

Be sure to ask at your first visit how to best handle follow-up appointments. If the doctor or nurse tells you to come back in three months for a follow-up visit, schedule the appointment before you leave. Even if this seems inconvenient at the time, it is the easiest way to ensure your child receives timely follow-up medical care. Take an appointment card with you as a reminder (available with the physician's name and phone number).

Keeping your child's medical history

It's simple and helpful to create a journal of your child's medical history. This journal can help you work with physicians to achieve the best health care for your child — especially in emergency situations. Record important information about doctors, medications, vaccinations, lab tests, and more. Many pre-made journals come with easy-to-use charts and helpful prompts so you can track the progress of your child's symptoms and communicate efficiently with your health care team.