Your child’s annual physical, or well child check-up, is an important part of taking care of their physical and mental health. (Your child will have multiple check-ups in the first few years of life as they are rapidly growing and developing. I will be addressing the yearly check-up for older children in this post.) Pediatricians address multiple aspects of their patients’ well-being during these visits. Therefore, it’s important for children to have their check-up scheduled each year, even during the covid-19 pandemic.
For safety purposes, we are scheduling our well checks in the morning and early part of the afternoon, separate from sick visits. We screen everyone for symptoms at the door and require everyone to wear a mask during the duration of their time in the office. If you or your child is quarantined or has recently tested positive for covid-19, please call to reschedule your appointment.
What is an annual physical?
Each year we have your child come in to check their growth, development, school progress, mental health and overall physical health. We will make sure their immunizations are up to date and check their hearing, vision and blood pressure. Typical check-up topics include nutrition, sleep, dental care, safety and school performance. We will provide guidance on everything from eating vegetables to wearing seatbelts to managing media use. Adolescents will also be screened for depression and we will talk to them about expected puberty changes and sexual health. We will also discuss drug, tobacco, vaping, and alcohol avoidance. Finally, we will screen all teens for heart health symptoms so that we can provide sports clearance.
During the covid-19 pandemic, many families avoided trips to the doctor’s office. Some patients experienced exacerbation of their chronic issues and some developed new issues. Unfortunately, these problems can pile up at the well check to the point that the “well” part doesn’t get discussed. All parents should know that their pediatrician is available to them for any new issues or exacerbation of chronic issues at any time during the year. We address all chronic issues at each check-up and make any changes or adjustments needed. Some conditions will also need at least one other visit during the year. For example, children with ADHD or asthma have medication checks every 4-6 months.
How to prepare?
- Please prepare your child in advance that they will be going to the doctor for their check-up. We will weigh and measure them and we will check their blood pressure, hearing and vision. Allow plenty of time for the medical assistant to take these measurements prior to your time with the doctor.
- Don’t make promises about not getting shots because these schedules sometimes change.
- Your child will have a physical exam that includes an exam of the private parts so please talk to them about that in advance. Let younger children know that the doctor only checks their private parts while the parent is in the room. Older children will be offered privacy for this part of the exam, so please be prepared to honor their wishes. We will not force anyone to do an exam of the private parts if they are uncomfortable.
Parents can prepare by having immunization records handy, an up to date insurance card, and any forms that need to be filled out for school or sports. Electronic health records allow a lot of offices to use patient answered questionnaires. There are developmental screens, screens for exposures to tuberculosis and lead, and general health questionnaires. These answers go directly into the chart for the doctor to review during the visit. However, they do take time to fill out so please ask your office if they can be filled out in advance on a private patient portal like MyChart. If not, allow plenty of time to do this before your child can be seen by the doctor.
What if you or your child has a lot of concerns?
We want the absolute best for your child. Any concerns you have, we want to address. The best way to get through your concerns and also discuss typical well visit topics, will be to jointly prioritize what can be addressed in that visit with your doctor. We may ask you to return for a separate appointment to follow up on some of your concerns. This allows us to spend more time discussing what may be going on and what the next steps are. Luckily, we can now use telehealth for these follow up appointments.
If you know in advance that you have concerns above and beyond the typical well visit topics, please ask the scheduler if you can have extra time for the appointment. Some offices may be able to accommodate this request.