After getting several recommendations for a particular doctor in our area, I called his office today and found out that he doesn't deal with ADHD patients at all. Have you heard of something like this? What would you make of a doctor like that--would you assume that he doesn't believe in ADHD, or perhaps isn't well equipped to handle it?
Big bummer--I was really hoping to find a doctor who'd be much closer to my son's school, and in our HMO network. Now we're stuck driving 45 min :(
Thank you all for the input thus far. I guess I was just so shocked, after hearing such great things about him, when they told me he doesn't deal with it that I didn't have the presence of mind to ask any follow up questions.
You're probably right--that he treats the broad spectrum of childhood issues, but not something as specific as ADHD, and I should be glad to know that up front.
Finding the right doctor for your non-typical child is really nerve wracking. Thanks for talking me down.
ETA: I should have mentoned that my son hasn't even been diagnosed yet--I was asking them about having a consultation for an ADHD evaluation, and the nurse stopped me right there and said, "Oh, ADHD. Dr. Russell doesn't deal with ADHD at all." I took that to mean that he doesn't even get the ball rolling, because I did expect for a general practice doc to just do the initial assessment, and then refer it out. Oh well, I guess the door is closed on that, but on the bright side, when I called his current doc's office to get an appt, they told me that one of their docs in the practice specializes in it and does all their initial assessments.
I wasn't looking for a prescription--just an initial consultation to start exploring the issue. We are HMO patients, and need to originate all things with our primary care provider. I was just shocked that there was zero initiative or instructions for what to do. Just, "We don't do that." I really wonder what they tell other kids who are already going there and start to have concerns about ADHD.
It's such a complex disorder. I can see why many doctors wouldn't want to "deal" with it, not because they don't believe in it, but because there's so much to be educated about and keep up on. If that's the case then good for him for knowing his limits (but you're right, big bummer for you!)
My doctor does not. He certainly does believe in ADHD! He also believes that doctors who specialize in that area, better serve their children. He is a general practitioner, and does not feel he can offer any kind of expertise. I respect that.
ETA: Let me clarify...he does not diagnose and treat ADHD. He will definitely see the children for general health and growth reasons.
Being ADHD, with an ADHD son, and from a medical background:
None of the pediatricians I personally know will deal with ADHD.
They refer all neurological issues (ADHD, Aspergers, Epilepsy, etc.) out to specialists... either in neurology or psychiatry or both. The same way they refer cardiology, pulmonology, etc. out to specialists. A normal pediatrician should NOT be handling psych issues. Period. The good ones know that the brain is far more complex, delicate, intricate, and cutting edge new science than say, skin. The bad ones will refer out for a dermatologist for a skin condition but go ahead and treat neurological conditions themselves.
Are you sure he doesn't mean he won't prescribe for kids with ADHD? That is very common and preferred. I have never heard of a pediatrician refusing to be a pediatrician to a child with ADHD but it is very common to refuse to be a psychiatrist to these kids.
My kids have their pediatrician and they have their psychiatrist, just better that way. Of course their psychiatrist is no where near my home but he is the best. :-/
Honestly a pediatrician is a general medication type doc. They are trained to spot illnesses and treat things like colds and flu. Other stuff they usually refer to docs who's training is in that particular area.
Pediatricians are not experts and really should not treat anyone for a mental health issue. And ADHD is a neurological illness so a Psychiatrist should be the one prescribing all ADHD meds.
A pediatrician who does do extra training and gets a degree or some sort of specialized certificate can be good though. I would never trust one to treat our grandchild, I would always seek his ADHD care through a Psychiatrist who's job is entirely devoted to everything this illness is about.
It's sort of like this. Is an OB/GYN a full doc with all the same training as a doc who is a family doc? Yes, to a degree. The OB/GYN went further in their training and studied for years about the female organs, how the brain is different that men's brains, how the different organs produce needed elements to make women's issues more stable...they know the female business better than anyone else.
If you had a brain tumor that needed to be operated on would you go to your OB/GYN to plan him/her doing this brain surgery? Of course not. You would seek an appointment with a neuro surgeon that was skilled in that particular sort of tumor.
Or go to a pediatrician if you had a heart attack and needed to schedule open heart surgery.
A pediatrician is a kid doc for general purposes. If he didn't refer you to a psychiatrist for treatment for ADHD I would not use that doc at all.
I know there are pediatricians out there that do a find job treating thousands of kids but I still say that ADHD meds should be overseen by a psychiatrist at all times.
I would applaud him. One of the most important things to know for a doctor is the limitation of their knowledge. You wouldn't be surprised if your ped said you needed an oncologist to diagnose and treat cancer, so why would you be surprised that a general practice pediatrician would decline to treat something as complex and controversial as ADHD. You may be better off getting your son diagnosed by ped that specialized in developmental pediatrics.
How would you feel if this doctor took your son but really wasn't knowledgeable or interested in treating ADHD in kids, but just kinda, sorta did, because, well it's part of his contract... he'll take your or a teachers word for the symptoms, writes out the diagnosis without any real evaluation and sends you on your way with a RX for ritalin or some other drug. This happens every day to THOUSANDS of children who are misdiagnosed and/or overtreated.
I think it speaks for this doctor to say:"sorry but that is no my specialty" and send you on to see someone who can actually, earnestly help your child.
Good luck.
I am assuming you mean that this doctor doesn't treat ADHD, not that he refuses to see kids who are ADHD. While I have never personally come across a pediatrician who doesn't treat it, I am not all that surprised. I must assume that he refers patients that he believes may have ADHD to a specialist that can better handle giving an accurate diagnosis and treatment protocol. I have been to many doctors with my kids, mostly specialists, but several pediatricians too. In my experience I have found that if a doctor refuses or is reluctant to treat a certain condition-you probably don't want to push the issue-LOL! It is likely that they don't want to because they know it is a weak point for them, or they choose to focus on other aspects of their practice and let more experienced doctors handle others. Everyone has their strong points, and everyone has their weak points. I have always respected a doctor that will tell me if they don't know or are uncomfortable handling certain procedures or treatments. Believe me, if they aren't sure about themselves-neither am I.
Perhaps this doctor will refer you to a child psychiatrist that is close by that also takes your insurance. This was the situation for a friend of mine. Her child went to a GP for most of her health care, and he was not comfortable treating a child for ADHD since he was not a pediatrician. He sent her to a child psychiatrist and all was well.
Then again, your other point may have some merit. Perhaps this doctor doesn't believe in ADHD. There are many who are convinced that it is a catch-all diagnosis for far too many children. I suppose the only way you will ever find out is by asking him yourself, or talking to other parents who know him well.
Good luck and I hope things work out-it would be awful to have to drive 45 mins just to see a pediatrician-especially if your kiddo is sick:(
ADHD is a psychiatric condition, and should be treated by a pediatric psychiatrist, and not a general pediatrician. Our pediatrician doesn't diagnose or treat psychiatric conditions either.
I've never expected ANY pediatrician to deal with ADHD specifically. Not if they're a general practitioner. If you're talking about a Behavioral-Developmental Pediatrician, then yes, one of the specialties would be ADHD and other neurological disorders such as Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and other behavioral disorders and developmental disorders (as the title suggests).
You can also get evaluations and treatment from a Pediatric Neurologist and/or a Pediatric Psychiatrist. All are qualified for continuing treatment. We use a neurologist that's very well versed in ADHD, ODD, and Autism and is very supportive of nutritional changes and additional types of supports being in place besides relying solely on medication.
She's in contact with our pediatrician, and they have discussions if treatments change or there are any issues that need to be clarified or explained. They have a great working relationship. But our pediatricians didn't do any "leg work." That was up to me, and it should have been up to me and not the pediatrician. They recommended some highly sought after neurologists in the area with excellent reputations and I researched them, then called and interviewed and went from there.
Our pediatrician at Kaiser referred us to a specialist at the first major signs of our son's ADHD. You definitely want to be dealing with specialists.
Does he not see patients who are ADHD at all or does he just not treat ADHD? My daughter's pediatrician does not treat any of the acronym diagnosis, but she will refer. She says that she does not do that because it is very specialized, particularly in regards to evaluation and medication. She will stay aprised of diagnosis and treatment received, but she feels that the best treatment is from a specialist.
I appreciate a doctor who is up front about their lack of knowledge for adhd. Our ped. "diagnosed" our daughter with only two questionnaires. To me, that's wrong. She's a wonderful doctor, but just admit this is something you don't know, and most pediatricians are not equipped to deal with it. If they haven't already, I would ask that office to whom they refer their patients. It's best to have someone based on their knowledge rather than their geography.
Good luck!
I think the doctor is just being honest about his area of expertise. There are doctors who probably specialize who could give you better care. It's good that they're giving you honest information so you can get the right advice.
I can understand how that might be frustrating but I think it might be due to knowing he is not the right person for the job. My son's dr sees him 4 times a year right now to follow up on his progress with his ADHD, school and over all development - I could not imagine how his Dr. could successfully do that with a practice full of ADHD children. I think that Dr.s who do take on ADHD (or any other issue such as Down's, Austim, etc) know what they are getting into and know their limits. It may also be that the Dr. is not taking on anymore ADHD right now as he has what he can handle. Honestly, I commend him for understanding his limits.
I can actually understand some doctors saying no to ADHD because it is over diagnosed, and way over medicated. Most cases could be controlled with change of diet, I know because I myself suffer from it. I think we just force meds on our kids without ever really digging in to see what the underlying causes may be. Personally I would recommend cutting out all refined sugar, dairy, and gluten for a while, and if the symptoms get better then slowly add things back in to see if/what he reacts too.
Yes. It is so common here that our ped. became a specialist in ADD and dumped us to focus on needier kids.
I am glad his office was honest. Can you imagine trying to get help from someone who doesn't believe in it?
Developmental Pediatricians deal with ADD/ADHD. Not your normal, run of the mill Pediatricians. And historically, that has been the case for a long time. Sometimes you can find one who does, but usually because they have a personal pension for it, or they have take extra CME courses for it.
I would welcome any doctor who was that up front about what they deal with and what they don't deal with. Maybe he/she feels unexperienced in this area and just decided not to treat those patients. I am so sorry that you have to find another doctor....but I would think there is someone better out there to deal with ADHD issues. Keep looking, you will find the right match.
I would not use a pediatrician to diagnose ADHD. Psychiatrist or psychologist is the person you want. Obviously, if you need mess you need a psychiatrist. I would not have even mentioned ADHD when making appt.
You need to ask him why to really know. While I would be disappointed, if the doctor doesn't treat the condition my child has, better to know upfront. You can ask him if it's that he doesn't see people with ADHD at all or he doesn't specifically monitor things like medication for it, in which case, do you already have someone who does and can continue to do so? Like someone else said, there's the general bumps, bruises and colds that the pediatrician deals with and then they outsource other things. It may be in your son's best interest for his pediatrician to leave his ADHD treatment to someone who specializes in that care.
Well I ran across this not too long ago. Yes, they did not want to deal with ADHD, because they wanted someone, like a therapist, to actually do the testing for the child. And I don't think it is a bad thing. My actual doctors office does not do testing of any kind, but they will write a prescription for medication with the paperwork from a therapist. So i called a different dr office to inquire, and they didn't deal with it at all. So I guess it is not uncommon.
