Telephone Consultation

We can be most helpful to you and your child if you follow these suggestions for telephone consultation:

1. If your call is regarding an emergency, interrupt the operator to inform him or her of this. Have the operator repeat your phone number to be sure it is correct.
2. Mention your doctor’s name and the child’s first and last name when placing the call so the information may be recorded in the proper chart.
3. If your child is ill, please take the temperature before calling. Feeling the forehead is inadequate and unreliable.
4. Have pencil and paper at hand anticipating instructions from your doctor.
5. If there is a time when you cannot be reached, please tell the operator so that the doctor will not try to call at that time.
6. Have the number of your pharmacy by the telephone.
7. If your call is not returned in a reasonable period of time, please call back to verify that we have the correct number.
8. We recommend consulting Guide to Your Child's Symptoms from the American Academy of Pediatrics or Your Child's Health by Barton Schmitt before making your call.  Sometimes you will find the information that you need there, and if not, our phone conversation is likely to be more productive after you have reviewed the information in one of these books.