As moms, we worry day and night about the safety of our children. No matter what we do however, there will be times that we will have no choice other than to rush them to the hospital. Most of the time, any medical worry you might have turns out to be nothing, and easily something that can be easily figured out by the best hospitals. If a problem is looking a little more difficult, however, then a great hospital should be able to identify and then solve it. As a mother, the best thing that you can do is pick the right hospital with a proven track record of great care. In this guide you’ll find the ultimate overview to finding the right hospital for your child. Read on below for four key tips.
In This Article
Find a Location Nearby
In an emergency, time is of the essence. The quicker that you can either drive to the hospital or have an ambulance arrive could be the difference between life and death for your child. Studies have shown that an increase in nine miles from the hospital could raise the chance of mortality by 1%. That’s why it’s recommended to live within at least an eight mile radius from a hospital or not picking one that needs a long journey. That said, it doesn’t make sense to just find the nearest hospital irregardless of anything else.
Check for Bad News
Whether it is cases of medical malpractice or mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic — such as in this Spanish care home — if something truly terrible has happened in a hospital as the result of negligence or incompetence, you should stay away as far as you can. While there are likely to be a few isolated cases in any major hospital, by keeping abreast of the facts, you can find the right solution for your child and avoid any nasty disasters.
Learn about Their Pediatric Ward
Simply having a pediatric ward is one of the first points of call. The specialized needs of children requires specialized care, hence the need for the hospital you pick to have a ward especially for children. They should have a track record in these other medical specializations too:
- Urology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
By having a strong range of specialists on call, a hospital can make sure that your child has the best chance of fighting any illness or injury that life throws at it.
See How Many Children Are Treated in the Hospital
It is very important to check out the volume of patients that come in and out of the hospital. If there is a high number of children that are constantly being checked in and later discharged, then you will have a good sense of how much experience they have with children’s needs. You can learn more simply by ringing the hospital up, checking it out online, or reading what third-parties have to say about its service.
