How to Find the Right Provider for Your Child’s Diagnosis: Where to Start

This is part one of a four-part series about finding the right specialty doctor for your child's diagnosis, with guidance from members of the Shriners Children's healthcare system.

It's a situation no parent wants to find themselves in: A routine visit to a pediatrician reveals that something's amiss with your child. The doctor only has so many answers and suggests that you visit a specialist for a diagnosis. Or maybe your child has been born with a congenital condition, and you now need the help of a specialist. No matter the situation, it's natural to feel scared and frustrated, with no idea what to do next.

Think of your child's medical treatment as a road map, full of twists and turns that lead to your destination: a happy, healthy child. There may be multiple routes to take on the journey, and probably a detour or two, but perhaps the most important spot on the map is the starting point: the diagnosis. And it's crucial to get it right. If you don't begin with an accurate assessment of what's wrong, how can you hope to navigate in the right direction and eventually reach your goal?

That means it's key to find the right doctor when your child needs specialized help. We spoke with three medical professionals within our Shriners Children's nonprofit healthcare system for their advice on finding the right provider for a diagnosis, based on decades of collective experience helping children and families just like yours reach their desired destination: lasting health and happiness.

A first and natural step is to speak to your primary care doctor. After all, you have an established relationship with them, and any trust you've developed goes a long way in choosing a direction to take.

"Many times, your primary care doctor may have relationships or prior experience with a specific facility," Kimberly Curran, a nurse care manager who has worked at Shriners Children's Philadelphia since 1996, said. "It is definitely a good idea to take this opinion into consideration when deciding upon a specialty care provider."

Felipe Haces-Garcia, medical director of Shriners Children's Mexico in Mexico City, who has been with Shriners Children's for 35 years, added that your doctor's input shouldn't be overlooked as you select a new provider because they could collaborate on treatment as well as provide recommendations, clinical data, or previous studies that may be helpful.

No matter how long you've been seeing your primary care doctor, they're likely the one provider with the most knowledge of your child's medical history, and that background can offer valuable insights to help guide decisions about specialty care, Connie Wilson, RN, MSN, CNOR, CSPDT,director of patient care services and nurse executive at Shriners Children's Lexington, said.

Continuity of care is also key. "A primary care doctor can help ensure that any treatment or care provided by specialists … aligns well with ongoing care plans and management of the child's overall health," she said, adding that most patients these days need referrals to see specialists, and primary care doctors can provide those.

In narrowing down your choices, of course, don't forget practical considerations such as how far a facility might be from your home and which providers are covered by your insurance. At Shriners Children's, all care and services are provided regardless of the families' ability to pay or insurance status. Learn more about becoming a patient.