Well-Visits Are More Than Just a Checkup

Here’s a secret from the exam room: while getting a shot is the part all kids remember about a well-visit and parents get to check a box on the to-do list, it is the relationship that is built during those moments that matters most to us pediatricians.

This time of year, families are busy preparing for the new school year. There are supplies to buy, schedules to organize and routines to reestablish. Likely, somewhere in the mix, there will also be a form that needs a doctor’s signature. So, the appointment gets scheduled, the vaccines are given, and the box gets checked. Mission accomplished, right?

Not quite.

Back-to-school season is one of the best times of year for a child’s well-visit because it gives families a chance to pause and take a broad look at their child’s health and well-being. It is an excellent opportunity for parents to call for back-up from another trusted adult who can reinforce sleep habits, nutrition, physical activity, screen time limits, and other routines that can easily drift during the summer months. Those conversations help set kids up for success both in the classroom and at home, and they help ensure children enter the school year ready to learn, grow and thrive.

Building a Child’s Medical “Home”

Pediatric primary care is meant to be a familiar, trusted place families can return to year after year for guidance, support and care throughout childhood and adolescence. Annual visits help establish an ongoing relationship between a child and their pediatrician, one where the child grows comfortable talking openly over time. That trust doesn’t appear overnight, and it matters most when a particular health concern or an adolescent challenge comes up that a child might not know how to express with their family. A pediatrician who sees a child regularly gets to know their growth patterns, family context, development and their history. All of which makes it far easier to notice when something changes.

Vaccines Only a Piece of the Puzzle

While important, vaccines are only one reason for a well-visit. Some families take a break from annual visits once the early childhood years pass, mostly because fewer vaccines are required at that point. But many significant physical, emotional, behavioral and developmental changes occur later in childhood and through adolescence. Parents aren't expected to have all the answers as their children grow. Every stage brings new questions and new experiences. Part of our role as pediatricians is helping families understand what's typical, what may warrant closer attention and what parents and kids can expect in the months and years ahead.

Going Beyond the Growth Chart

A well-visit covers far more than height and weight. Depending on a child’s age, in addition to monitoring growth and development, we talk about nutrition and physical activity, navigate critical conversations about sleep habits and screen time, discuss challenges related to school performance and learning, delve into behaviors that impact their social, emotional and behavioral health, explore topics related to friendships and age-appropriate independence, and highlight ways to stay safe and avoid injuries. Often these conversations help reassure parents that their child is developing as expected. Other times, we help surface a concern that might otherwise go unnoticed and connect a family with appropriate support.

The Follow Up

The relationship doesn’t end when the appointment does. Pediatricians are usually the first call when a family has a question or worry about their child’s health at any time of the year. Some concerns need more time and attention than a routine well-visit allows, and that’s where follow-up appointments and specialist referrals become important. Having an established primary care relationship makes those situations easier to navigate because your pediatrician already knows your child, understands your concerns and can help guide next steps. At Phoenix Children’s that means families can tap into a broad network of pediatric specialists, whether that’s for behavioral health, nutrition, sleep medicine, gastroenterology or something else, while staying connected to their child’s primary care provider.

So as the school year begins, I encourage you to think of the well-visit as more than a checklist item. It is an opportunity to touch base, ask questions and invest in your child’s long-term health, development, safety and well-being.

A pediatrician who gets to know a child and their family over time becomes a genuine partner for routine care as well as for the unexpected. Our goal goes beyond treating illness. We want to help kids grow, thrive and reach their fullest potential at every turn.

Dr. Darcey Winterland is the division chief of Phoenix Children’s Pediatrics. For more information visit www.phoenixchildrens.com.