Press Releases

A visit to the pediatrician’s office can be anxiety provoking for both parent and child. The previous visit may have left memories of a painful throat culture or a smarting thigh or arm from that necessary immunization.

These memories make it necessary for the best possible impression to be made from the time children enter your office until theyleave. Although we can’t stop giving throat cultures andimmunizations, taking steps to ensure our office is child-friendly may help ease the pain.

No matter how conscientious a pediatrician is about holding down the waiting time, there is typically some time spent in the waiting room. Since this room is the first impression that the child will have of his or her visit, a positive start will help to set the stage for what is to come. The idea of a return visit might not be quite as terrifying if your patient remembers that this room was a pretty cool place to be.

The décor should be happy and interesting to children. Remember that parents will love it as long as their children are happy. This does not mean that the walls must be covered with the current cartoon characters — in fact, we don’t need to be advertisements for the latest cartoon network show. Expensive artwork also is not necessary or practical. Pictures of animals, fish or birds in their natural environments often are a favorite, but there are many other ideas that will achieve the same end. Encased bulletin boards that are safely mounted can house new information for parents, such as product recalls,or a reminder of the week about caring for children. Thus, there is an opportunity to educate parents while they wait.

That takes care of the first impression. Now we need to turn to what is to happen during the wait. There should be something to occupy the parent and the child’s time. Televisions mounted in the waiting room and hooked to cable network programming should be a thing of the past. The AAP Committee on Public Education has issued policy statements and recommendations in generalon the concerns of overexposure to the television and inappropriate programming for children. In addition to adding to the hours a child watches television, the risk of exposure to inappropriate programming and advertising looms great. An alternative might be educational videos on management of asthma, well-child care,accident prevention, swimming safety or normal child development.Interactive technology can be used to educate children on similartopics if your office has developed this capability. Softly played, child friendly, but soothing music is another possibility.

Magazines for parents and children should be screened for advertisementsfor tobacco or alcohol products or articles that would be inappropriatefor a child. There are several well-written child magazines that are not only fun, but also educational. The Academy has many educational brochures that can be placed in the waiting room for the parents to review if the child is older and ableto occupy him or herself.

Books that are sturdy and easy to clean add a way for the parent to entertain the child and at the same time re-inforces our recommendations on the importance of reading to children. Culturally and linguistically sensitive material in the waiting area also is a must. Since no practice has cookie-cutter patients, the office should be set up to appeal to the diversity of the population that is served.

Although it would seem fun and exciting to walk into a waiting room with many toys, cautious choosing is recommended. Toys with many parts, such as puzzles with lots of pieces, assure added work time for office personnel to keep things organized and create a continually messy look to your waiting area. Climbing or riding toys are accidents waiting to happen and are best left out of the office. Wall- or table-mounted mazes or mirrors can be a fun distraction for the children and simply require wiping with an antibacterial cleaner to be ready for the next day.

A waiting room with only adult-size chairs is sure to be a turn-off for the already anxious child. There certainly should be comfortable chairs for parents, but toddler chairs are a must. A private reading corner labeled"For Children Only" will give them a feeling of special privilege and will be well received. If there is room, a child’s table and chairs also are a nice addition. Beautifully upholstered material on chairs courts disaster. Easy-to-clean and durable coverings are the best choices in these high-wear areas.

Finally, we pediatricians often are known to enter into pediatrics because we are still "children at heart." We should all let a little bit of the child in us come out in planning these spaces for our patients. In the long run, everyone will be happier.