6 Things to Consider When Searching for a Paediatric ENT in Singapore
Choosing the right paediatric ENT in Singapore is crucial if parents want to receive the best service for their children. Settling for any specialist may not be a pleasant experience. You might end up spending more or receive ineffective treatment. On the other hand, your kids may not get the necessary attention since the specialist lacks the expertise to handle children.
Although an ENT specialist in Singapore is indeed capable of treating adults and children, paediatric experts receive special training and education that makes them more qualified to handle issues concerning babies and children.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a paediatric ENT specialist in Singapore, here are 6 things you need to consider to help you find the right one.
6 Things to Consider When Searching for a Paediatric ENT in Singapore
1. Credentials
One of the most important considerations you need to make when picking a medical practitioner is to check if they have the licence to practise medicine. Every country in the world requires physicians to pass a licensing exam. Otherwise, they cannot provide medical services as it is illegal.
Therefore, finding the right paediatric ENT specialist in Singapore begins with checking if they have the credentials to serve clients like you. Without it, you have no assurance that they are capable of treating whatever health complication your child has.
Visit their website to know more about their background. If you have an appointment, ask for their licence and see if it is legitimate. Additionally, you can use online databases, such as this one, to see if they are officially registered medical practitioners.
2. Experience
Once you verify their credentials, you also want to know if they have adequate experience in treating children. Although a paediatric ENT in Singapore has the necessary skills to handle whatever illness your kids have, it is only through experience that they learn about the reality of medicine.
A person can spend years or decades learning to become an ENT specialist. However, if they lack experience, they don’t know the reality of their job. There is a significant difference between learning through books and observing how ENT practitioners operate.
3. Personality
As mentioned before, every ENT specialist in Singapore has the training to handle the health concerns of adults and children concerning the ears, nose, and throat. However, not every one of them has a personality that works well with kids.
When searching for the right child ENT specialist in Singapore, you need to determine if they have the following traits:
- Comfortable with children
- Capable of interacting with children
- Emits a positive and friendly personality
- Can entertain children and help them calm down
However, learning more about their personality won’t involve the same methods you use when determining their credentials. Generally, you would need to ask for referrals or contact previous customers regarding their performance when treating children.
4. Clinical Environment
Aside from a child-friendly personality, you also need to see if the ENT specialist has a clinic that suits kids. Unlike adult clients, health establishments catering to babies and kids should have additional facilities to accommodate their generally active personalities. For example, do their waiting rooms have art materials, such as crayons and paper? Do they have story books or puzzles? Do the rooms utilise vibrant colours?
Aside from those questions, you also need to consider their staff. Are they comfortable with children? Do they have pleasant personalities? Remember that choosing the right paediatric ENT in Singapore is a decision that concerns both parents and children. If your kids aren’t comfortable with the establishment, you can expect issues along the way.
5. Services
Since there are plenty of concerns involving the ears, nose, and throat, your ENT specialist must offer the necessary services. Additionally, their clinic should have the appropriate equipment to handle whatever tests they need to conduct.
However, since there will be issues beyond their expertise, they should also have connections with other specialists. For example, if your child is experiencing issues with their hearing, your paediatric ENT should be able to refer you to an audiologist for proper diagnosis.
6. Location
Lastly, the right paediatric ENT specialist in Singapore should have a clinic in a convenient location. You wouldn’t like to spend hours on the road to get to their area, especially if you’ll be doing it multiple times.
Additionally, you would want to consider if they have adequate parking space. Security is also an essential factor in finding the right ENT specialist. You wouldn’t want to leave your vehicle in a neighbourhood with a high occurrence of carnapping incidents.
Although it can be frustrating when you find the right clinic and discover that its location is not ideal, there are always other establishments that offer similar, if not better, quality services in a safer area.
Conclusion
It isn’t enough to settle for the first paediatric ENT specialist you find, you want to ensure that your children receive proper attention and high-quality services. It is only through getting the right expert can you hope to have your expectations met.
While it may be tough to find the right medical professional, these 6 tips should be of some use to you and might be enough to narrow down your options. Here is a quick recap of these 6 considerations tackled in this article.
First, ensure that the ENT specialist has a licence to practise medicine.
Second, you also want them to have adequate experience handling cases similar to yours.
Third, they should have a personality and attitude that works well with children.
Fourth, the clinic should have an environment that suits children.
Fifth, the paediatric ENT specialist should have various services. They should also have connections with numerous medical practitioners who have more experience if they are handling issues outside of their expertise.
Lastly, their clinic should be in a convenient location, has adequate parking space, and isn’t at a high risk of illegal activities.
If you’re about to begin looking for an ENT specialist, check out Dr Jenica Yong. Browse through their website to learn more about their services.
The author, Dr. David K Simson is a trained radiation oncologist specializing in advanced radiation techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) / Rapid Arc, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). He is also experienced in interstitial, intracavitary, and intraluminal brachytherapy.