As a parent, you make many choices about how to manage your children’s health needs. Choosing the right pediatrician for your child can be daunting, especially when you want your child to get the best quality of care possible. For many parents of Black children, this decision is even more critical as they seek providers who will provide culturally and racially concordant care. Research has demonstrated that mortality amongst Black infants was halved when care was provided by Black medical providers. This type of care is crucial as it considers the unique cultural and racial factors that can affect a child’s health and wellbeing.
Your pediatrician should be well-equipped to understand and cater to your child’s unique needs. If you are pregnant and looking for a provider, you can always ask for a pediatric prenatal visit to determine if they are right for you. Here are some insights and tips for choosing a pediatric care provider r:
- Ask about their experience providing respectful and understanding care for kids from diverse backgrounds, especially Black children.
- Inquire about the diversity of their patients to see if they have experience with a wide range of children. Are they able to share the percentage of children of color they see?
- It’s important to determine if they recognize how specific health conditions/issues might appear differently in Black children and if they are willing to refer them to a specialist when needed.
- Additionally, ask if they are familiar with the health inequities and disparities within the Black community.
- Visit the office to see if the environment is welcoming and inclusive. Consider the following: Does the office have inclusive books, posters, and pictures? Is there some diversity among office staff and patients?
Harness the power of community
Reach out to people and organizations with the experience or resources to help you find the right pediatrician.
- Discuss your needs with family members and friends who have a pediatrician whose care they trust.
- Ask members of local Black parents groups for recommendations (local social media groups can also be helpful here)
- Seek recommendations from local chapters of the NAACP or the Urban League.
- Black community centers and local organizations for suggestions, especially those focused on family, children and women’s health issues.
- Explore websites specializing in connecting you with racially concordant care, such as findablackdoctor.com and blackdoctor.org or an app like Irth.
Assess how you feel
How you feel about a provider is as essential as their quality of care. It’s always a good idea to consider the following when figuring out the right provider:
- Do they make you feel comfortable when asking questions, and do you have confidence in the answers they give?
- Do you think they offered you enough time to discuss your child’s needs?
- Have you received clear explanations about your child’s needs and potential issues?
Reviewed by the Ovia Health by Labcorp Clinical Team
Sources
- Greenwood, B. N., Hardeman, R. R., Huang, L., & Sojourner, A. (2020). Physician–patient racial concordance and disparities in birthing mortality for newborns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(35), 21194-21200.
