A pediatrician vent!!!!

[Keira1387]

They charge for weight checks????????

Wow.

Back in the dark ages (19 years ago ) they told me just to stop in anytime during that week/month/whatever and have my premature son weighed. It wasn't an appointment and they certainly didn't charge me.

This is how our doctor is! We had a preemie too, and it was so nice to drop in just to do a quick weigh in.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I do think the Dr was out of line if that's how it went down(two sides and all that good stuff).

Are the weight checks supposed to be monthly? That would make sense as to why they need to be every four weeks. I know that my children have been on a schedule like that before with their pedi(though for the opposite reason...they are little peanuts). Maybe that is why he is so adamant about the time frame.

 

[clori]

Around 10 years ago my baby lost over 10% of her body weight in the hospital and had trouble gaining initially (not premature). We went for weight checks 2-3 times a week until we got the all clear at 6 weeks. I had to pay a copay for the visits. At the second to the last visit my dh came and told the dr that we could have bought a scale for the cost of all the copays and we all laughed. The next visit there was a note in the chart not to charge us.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I would find a new doctor without hesitation.

Consider a family doctor. We use them and I have been happier than with the few short times we had to use pediatricians.



And even if you were short with the staff, who cares. You didn't want to take the unnecessary appt and they determined to drop your business over that. Yes we must be concerned for obesity, but that was just out of line.

Question--How has your daughter's growth RATE been? Has it been steady or has their been a spike. How does her weight correlate to her height percentage? Are they close or petty far apart and has this been consistent? This is what our family doctor looks at. The number is just a number. You have to look at everything together and just not the number on the scale that day.

I don't know what a near 5 year old should way as my. 4.5 year old is at the 2%-ile range. But let's pretend normal weight is 45 pounds and your daughter is 52 pounds...that is "only" 15 percent over. Not trivial, but not of such concern that waiting an extra month to weigh her is a problem.

They couldn't wait 2 months? What magic do they expect to happen? So yes, this is a waste of time. She isn't an infant. Heck--even an adult losing 7 pounds would be a stretch. I'm sorry--but they deserve to be called out.

Honestly, I would leave the practice anyway. I would be concerned that they are setting this poor child up to the mentality that any fat is bad and dieting occurs at all costs. Encouraging good habits is good. Frequent monthly weight checks like this are not unless their is an underlying medical reason.

Just make healthier choices for the family and get more active. This advice restricting carbs thing for a 4 year old seems like crazy medical advice. Did they suggest Atkins?

 

[Happy Snowman]

I think 7 lbs on a 4 year old frame is a lot of extra weight to carry. I understand you wanting to combine appointments and don't quite understand why the dr is so adamant that you go to the Dec one, but I've heard of dr's that won't treat patients any longer that won't follow their medical advice or are problem patients ( or problem parents). I know of dr's that won't take back parents that won't vaccinate their children for example. If this truly is about the dr getting money, yes, change doctors, but if there is more back story to this, then go to the Dec appointment.

For perspective-=a 4 year old should weigh roughly 40 lbs, that 7 lbs would be the same as someone that should weigh 125 weighing 155...

 

[Hrhpd]

4 months ago I took my DD4 in for a doctor's appointment with her pediatrician. She was weighed, and according to her BMI she's about 7 pounds overweight. It was a concern, so her doctor ordered some blood tests. They ALL came back negative, and she's healthy. When we went back in to go over the results, we talked about cutting back on carbs, making healthier choices and increasing physical activity, which DH and I are doing with her. The downside is she LOVES mac and cheese, and the only time she gets it is when she goes to her aunt's house. Before we left, the receptionist scheduled another weight check in December. I called today to schedule her 5 year check up for the end of January, and at the same time I said I wasn't going to go to the "weight check" appointment in December because I didn't feel there was a need to. I told them I can weigh my own daughter. All they do at those weight checks is weigh the kid, and ask what they've been eating, etc.. It's a complete waste of time. I know it's important to take good care of my daughter's health, but I said it was a waste of time to go in since we'd be going in 4 weeks later. The receptionist spoke to the doctor. After a few minutes she comes back on the phone and says in these exact words "Dr.******* said if you don't keep that appointment without a valid reason then to find another provider." At first I was speechless, then said whatever and hung up. I'm angry. So far a couple people recommended three other pediatricians, but neither are accepting new patients. Looking at my daughter, you can't even really tell she's overweight. I know that's no excuse, and I really have been better about watching her diet. Was her pediatrician out of line for saying what he did? Have any of you disers been in a similar situation?

The doctor must be quite concerned about your daughter's health to have worded something so strongly.

Has your daughter lost any weight since the last checkup? 7lbs is quite a bit for a 4 year old. Is there a reason the doctor should be so concerned that he cannot wait another 4 weeks??

He could just be a jerk, but in the cold and flu season, I highly doubt it is a scam for money. For a pediatrician, that hole in his schedule will be filled that morning easily.

So, again, has she lost any weight since the last appointment? Are your changes working?

Although, I must say, I am not one to focus on weight at that age. But the doctor must have his reasons.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I do think the Dr was out of line if that's how it went down(two sides and all that good stuff).

Are the weight checks supposed to be monthly? That would make sense as to why they need to be every four weeks. I know that my children have been on a schedule like that before with their pedi(though for the opposite reason...they are little peanuts). Maybe that is why he is so adamant about the time frame.

At near age 5 your children had monthly weight checks?

I have a peanut and she has been weighed at all normal intervals during well visit checks which was annnually after age 1 with maybe a visit at 18 months but I don't recall.

And of course on any visit in between, weight is always part of an exam as it is for any patient of any age at any physical or sick visit.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

At near age 5 your children had monthly weight checks?

I have a peanut and she has been weighed at all normal intervals during well visit checks which was annnually after age 1 with maybe a visit at 18 months but I don't recall.

And of course on any visit in between, weight is always part of an exam as it is for any patient of any age at any physical or sick visit.

Yes they did. For a total of about six months

ETA- The doctor recommended a diet change and weighed them monthly for a while to see how it was working. I don't remember paying though...

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I remembered this after I posted last night.

I was behind someone at the doctor's yesterday scheduling something for I don't know what. The patient asked if there would be a copay, and the receptionist replied "there is only a copay if you see the doctor, not the nurse, so no copay".

I would definitely clarify whether there will be a charge for weigh ins.

 

[Sadie22]

I'll be honest even though I'm in the minority.


I don't think this was a good choice of words on your part. It's offensive to a team that thought it was important for your daughter to have a weight check in the office in December. We can't know your tone, but my guess would be that the conversation sort of "inflamed" the receptionist, who then, in turn, inflamed the doctor about it, who reacted angrily with his words....

It broke down into a power struggle, essentially.



I think you should take a deep breath and think more about it. You are in a partnership with your medical team with the shared goal of your DD's health. Don't you think the same thing will come up with another provider? Do what you want, but I think it's important to show you're on board with the plan of care for your DD and if you don't think she needs to be weighed in the office, it's probably something you should negotiate at your visit in direct conversation with the doctor. Also, it's really not a complete waste of time, it's an assessment of how she's doing with her nutritional goals. I think it's good to have a doctor that cares so much. YMMV

BTW, all of us have bad days; bad moments. Even parents and doctors. I'm sure, if you decided to, you could have a conversation with the doctor and sort of "start over"; clean the slate. But that's up to you. I just suspect that this is probably going to be an ongoing issue that you're sensitive to, that may come up no matter who you see. Oh, and I wouldn't be happy about a co-pay like that for a weight check, either. But again, maybe it's something you could talk directly to the doctor about - he may not even realize there's a charge associated with it. At the very least, it's a better reason to say than "it's a complete waste of time", kwim?

I agree.

 

[Happy Snowman]

I respect your opinion. Maybe I should have worded it differently, but the receptionist asked why I wasn't going to go in December, and I told her. I told them at her last appointment I didn't think it was necessary to go in when it was so close to her 5 year check up. They refused to have it any other way. Her blood tests came back normal, so the weight checks ARE a waste of time. I told her doctor I will watch what she eats. He's only doing it for the money. And for the record, this doctor has gotten a lot of bad reviews. He's NEVER on time. I remember interviewing him when I was pregnant with my first DD, but ended up going with another pediatrician who was a woman. She retired two years ago, so we went to him. I read the reviews online and thought they were absurd. He was so nice and professional, but only to my face. I realize I might have this problem if I do go to another provider, but no final decisions can be made until I get my new insurance under the ACA taken care of.

What blood tests did they run? What were they checking for?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And a comment on receptionists--sometimes they are... For lack of a better word...mean.


I had one that was a pill at my last OB. Long story short--the end result was the office manager understanding the issue and saying that she would re-train her office staff. Power trips are never a good thing.

So it is possible that the doctor did not use the words or tone that the receptionist used, but rather she was trying to be authoritarian to get you to comply. So I would call back and say family obligations prevent the Decemebr being but that you would be willing to schedule her well child in January as soon as the insurance allows. (Some are calendar year and some are thou shall not make the same appt for another 365 days.)

[Per my receptionist, you would have thought the doctor was refusing to see me for ONE visit if I did not pay for my entire pregnancy and delivery even though it was the last because I was moving out of state. I told her I was quite fine with walking out and didn't need the appt. And that was the nicest thing I could think of because she was refusing to let me not pay anymore money when I had an $800 balance. And like magic, I could be seen but she scowled at me. Still waiting on my refund.]

 

[Hrhpd]

I'll be honest even though I'm in the minority.


I don't think this was a good choice of words on your part. It's offensive to a team that thought it was important for your daughter to have a weight check in the office in December. We can't know your tone, but my guess would be that the conversation sort of "inflamed" the receptionist, who then, in turn, inflamed the doctor about it, who reacted angrily with his words....

It broke down into a power struggle, essentially.



I think you should take a deep breath and think more about it. You are in a partnership with your medical team with the shared goal of your DD's health. Don't you think the same thing will come up with another provider? Do what you want, but I think it's important to show you're on board with the plan of care for your DD and if you don't think she needs to be weighed in the office, it's probably something you should negotiate at your visit in direct conversation with the doctor. Also, it's really not a complete waste of time, it's an assessment of how she's doing with her nutritional goals. I think it's good to have a doctor that cares so much. YMMV

BTW, all of us have bad days; bad moments. Even parents and doctors. I'm sure, if you decided to, you could have a conversation with the doctor and sort of "start over"; clean the slate. But that's up to you. I just suspect that this is probably going to be an ongoing issue that you're sensitive to, that may come up no matter who you see. Oh, and I wouldn't be happy about a co-pay like that for a weight check, either. But again, maybe it's something you could talk directly to the doctor about - he may not even realize there's a charge associated with it. At the very least, it's a better reason to say than "it's a complete waste of time", kwim?

 

[Happy Snowman]

And a comment on receptionists--sometimes they are... For lack of a better word...mean.


I had one that was a pill at my last OB. Long story short--the end result was the office manager understanding the issue and saying that she would re-train her office staff. Power trips are never a good thing.

So it is possible that the doctor did not use the words or tone that the receptionist used, but rather she was trying to be authoritarian to get you to comply. So I would call back and say family obligations prevent the Decemebr being but that you would be willing to schedule her well child in January as soon as the insurance allows. (Some are calendar year and some are thou shall not make the same appt for another 365 days.)

[Per my receptionist, you would have thought the doctor was refusing to see me for ONE visit if I did not pay for my entire pregnancy and delivery even thou it was the last because I was moving out of state. I told her I was quite fine with walking out and didn't need the appt. And that was the nicest thig I could think of because she was refusing to let me not pay anymore money when I had an $800 balance. And like magic, I could be seen but she scowled at me. Still waiting on my refund.]

I left a practice because of the way the receptionists and nurses treated people--the dr was great, but I couldn't take it any longer when I called in to get an appointment and the other staff took it upon themselves to decide if you needed to come in or not...the last straw was when I knew my son had pneumonia--has it frequently so I know the signs and symptoms--and they gave me a hard time about getting an appointment. I told the dr but she didn't make any changes...

 

[Hrhpd]

I respect your opinion. Maybe I should have worded it differently, but the receptionist asked why I wasn't going to go in December, and I told her. I told them at her last appointment I didn't think it was necessary to go in when it was so close to her 5 year check up. They refused to have it any other way. Her blood tests came back normal, so the weight checks ARE a waste of time. I told her doctor I will watch what she eats. He's only doing it for the money. And for the record, this doctor has gotten a lot of bad reviews. He's NEVER on time. I remember interviewing him when I was pregnant with my first DD, but ended up going with another pediatrician who was a woman. She retired two years ago, so we went to him. I read the reviews online and thought they were absurd. He was so nice and professional, but only to my face. I realize I might have this problem if I do go to another provider, but no final decisions can be made until I get my new insurance under the ACA taken care of.

Has she lost weight since you have been watching it?

He might still be concerned that there is an underlying issue.

And again, I don't think you can blame it on money.

He will have a waiting line of sick kids in December to fill that hole. He will make money regardless if you come in or not.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Has she lost weight since you have been watching it?

He might still be concerned that there is an underlying issue.

And again, I don't think you can blame it on money.

He will have a waiting line of sick kids in December to fill that hole. He will make money regardless if you come in or not.

Or has she stopped gaining weight? Has she gotten taller?

Will the doctor be plotting her height and weight on the growth chart?


It isn't just the number on the scale in a vacuum.

 

[junebug624]

4 months ago I took my DD4 in for a doctor's appointment with her pediatrician. She was weighed, and according to her BMI she's about 7 pounds overweight. It was a concern, so her doctor ordered some blood tests. They ALL came back negative, and she's healthy. When we went back in to go over the results, we talked about cutting back on carbs, making healthier choices and increasing physical activity, which DH and I are doing with her. The downside is she LOVES mac and cheese, and the only time she gets it is when she goes to her aunt's house. Before we left, the receptionist scheduled another weight check in December. I called today to schedule her 5 year check up for the end of January, and at the same time I said I wasn't going to go to the "weight check" appointment in December because I didn't feel there was a need to. I told them I can weigh my own daughter. All they do at those weight checks is weigh the kid, and ask what they've been eating, etc.. It's a complete waste of time. I know it's important to take good care of my daughter's health, but I said it was a waste of time to go in since we'd be going in 4 weeks later. The receptionist spoke to the doctor. After a few minutes she comes back on the phone and says in these exact words "Dr.******* said if you don't keep that appointment without a valid reason then to find another provider." At first I was speechless, then said whatever and hung up. I'm angry. So far a couple people recommended three other pediatricians, but neither are accepting new patients. Looking at my daughter, you can't even really tell she's overweight. I know that's no excuse, and I really have been better about watching her diet. Was her pediatrician out of line for saying what he did? Have any of you disers been in a similar situation?

NO doctor should ever make you feel that way. What a jerk! Attitudes like that are what breeds unhealthy attitudes about weight. If she was underweight, I could see some concern. Healthy and happy: that's what really counts. Good luck finding a better pediatrician

 

[Pea-n-Me]

And even if you were short with the staff, who cares. You didn't want to take the unnecessary appt and they determined to drop your business over that. Yes we must be concerned for obesity, but that was just out of line.

This, I don't understand. If you're short with someone, there's a good chance that someone is going to react in turn. It's human nature.

Yesterday, I saw a specialist. I was seen 65 minutes later than what I was scheduled for. They thanked me for my patience. During my exam, the doctor got pulled out twice. Yes, it was annoying. But I happened to know the doctor, and she shared with me that her two nurses were out and they never got her a replacement, so she was doing her job, and theirs. Wrong? Yes. Did it negatively affect her day? Definitely. She was pretty frazzled. Now this is not an excuse for anyone to be nasty. But when someone's already stressed out, chances are good they're not going to be at their best and it's probably not a good idea to be short with them. And vice versa.

I've had an illness for the past two months where I was feeling pretty lousy. I was on the phone quite a bit with medical staff. A couple of times, conversations didn't go well. I always apologized during the conversation because I knew I was having a bad day. I made it a point of meeting one person who was very nice to me on the phone, and yesterday, in fact, I met the person who I had probably the "biggest" problem with on the phone (but we'd worked it out) and she smiled when she saw me and we had a very nice conversation. I thanked her for all her help. (And she did, ultimately, get what I was trying to say and helped me.)

My point being that it does matter how we speak to people.

 

[luvavacation]

I am sorry, but this just bugs me to no end. Why on earth are doctors so concerned about young children being "overweight"? Are they active? Are they eating a balanced diet?

Worry if all they do is sit at home all day in front of a computer, not if they are out bike riding and swinging on swing-sets but aren't tiny little things! After all, these are children, their bodies grow and change, they don't need adult pressures at such a young age, they just need to be children and enjoy life!

Both of my daughters were on the high end of the weight scale when they were young. Our pediatrician told me not to worry about it, the girls were out and about, playing and active, they were fine. He said that if they became ill, you don't have the same fears as if they were underweight and there are no reserves if they stop eating for a few days (abbreviating the conversation here). Of course, this was all over 20 years ago, I suppose times have changed.

My daughters are adults now, but they are healthy, slim, and strong. Being on the high end of the weight charts as young children did not hurt them. Have the kids do some jumping jacks or something in the doctor's office if you want to see if they have any endurance from an active lifestyle, don't subject them to blood work and weight checks, especially not at 4 or 5 years old! Teach the parents. If the parents don't care to help their kids lead a healthy, active lifestyle with good choices, then no amount of weight checks is going to make a difference.

On the flip side, being a skinny kid is not going to mean being a skinny adult (my brother is the prime example of this). Pediatricians are being very short-sighted if they only focus on kids that are young and heavier. I hope the OP finds a pediatrician that looks at the big picture, not just a chart.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

IMO, 7 pounds over is not a big deal. I'd make a few small changes and call it a day. That dr was way out of line and I'd def find another ped after that.