Most of us, I would guess, know some parents who--on realizing their
pediatrician knows less about breastfeeding than they do--choose to obtain
health care for their baby from someone else.

While eventually voting with the feet/pocketbook might be noticed, it seems
to me that those same parents have a responsibility to the future patients
of that same pedi by telling him/her WHY they are leaving the practice!

If they are too scared to do this face-to-face, at the very least a
pleasant letter AFTER having secured and moved the baby's chart to the new
practice is in order.  It need not be a lengthy letter.  Something like
this would work and MIGHT (just MIGHT) serve as a wake-up call to the pedi
re: what he needs to pay more attention to.  People don't change when they
don't know they need to.

"Dear Doctor Badcare,

Thank you for seeing us [date of last visit].  We appreciated the time you
spent with us as we discussed "Baby's name and his/her health.

We have chosen to seek pediatric care elsewhere.  You may be curious to
know why.  We were surprised to discover that your advice about
breastfeeding is not in keeping with current recommendations.  We were
informed of this in [parent book they read or information received from
another health provider/lactation consultant, etc.]  We view ourselves as
part of the team in assuring that our baby remains healthy. From that
perspective, we feel it important that our baby's pediatrician should be
more informed than us about health preservation, including optimal
nutrition. If you would like to discuss this matter further, please feel
free to contact us.*

Thank you again for your prompt transmittal of [Baby's name] chart to Dr.
Goodcare.


Sincerely,


* I would bet (based on personal experience) that most MDs will NOT call
the former patient to ask what the MD does not know, but it is always
appropriate to offer to talk about this.

Once again, how can change occur if the person we are asking to do so has
no idea what NEEDS to be changed?

Simply changing practices may not contribute to improved care.

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"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly
disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask]
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