The doctor’s office is not a playground

One of the most infuriating things in a medical practice (or probably anywhere) is when people don’t supervise their kids.

I have nothing against kids. I’m not a pediatrician, but that’s more of a personality thing.

Like any adult neurologist, I don’t see kids, and my office isn’t set up for them. Most parents are aware of this. They either don’t bring them, or when unavoidable, bring stuff to keep them busy: Nintendos, books, iPhone games, etc.

But some assume my office is a day care, and this is a serious problem. I have no idea if my colleagues down the street at the Mayo Clinic have to put up with shenanigans like this, but unfortunately in a typical office practice, it happens too often.

If I step out of the office for something, I’ve had parents do things like handing my examining tools (including fragile things like an ophthalmoscope) to their children to play with or let them look through my desk drawers. Others have allowed their children to randomly run through the halls of my office or even ask my secretary if they can sit at her desk so she can keep them busy. After all, she has a computer. Why can’t their kids play on it? Never mind that she’s constantly scheduling or looking up charts with it.

These same parents also get irate when told no, or are asked to control their kids. I’ve been accused of hating children, being unreasonable, and being unaccommodating.

I’m not in the habit of disciplining other people’s kids. I don’t want someone to do it to mine, and I won’t do it to theirs. In the rare cases when a kid’s behavior makes a visit impossible, I’ve asked people to leave. There are even some patients who I’ve told not to return unless they don’t bring their kids.

Inevitably, this has cost me a few patients and probably gotten me a few bad reviews online. But I really don’t care. Good patient care, not to mention sanity, requires as few distractions as possible. And if I can’t practice good patient care, what’s the point of wasting the patient’s and my own time?

Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz.

One of the most infuriating things in a medical practice (or probably anywhere) is when people don’t supervise their kids.

I have nothing against kids. I’m not a pediatrician, but that’s more of a personality thing.

Like any adult neurologist, I don’t see kids, and my office isn’t set up for them. Most parents are aware of this. They either don’t bring them, or when unavoidable, bring stuff to keep them busy: Nintendos, books, iPhone games, etc.

But some assume my office is a day care, and this is a serious problem. I have no idea if my colleagues down the street at the Mayo Clinic have to put up with shenanigans like this, but unfortunately in a typical office practice, it happens too often.

If I step out of the office for something, I’ve had parents do things like handing my examining tools (including fragile things like an ophthalmoscope) to their children to play with or let them look through my desk drawers. Others have allowed their children to randomly run through the halls of my office or even ask my secretary if they can sit at her desk so she can keep them busy. After all, she has a computer. Why can’t their kids play on it? Never mind that she’s constantly scheduling or looking up charts with it.

These same parents also get irate when told no, or are asked to control their kids. I’ve been accused of hating children, being unreasonable, and being unaccommodating.

I’m not in the habit of disciplining other people’s kids. I don’t want someone to do it to mine, and I won’t do it to theirs. In the rare cases when a kid’s behavior makes a visit impossible, I’ve asked people to leave. There are even some patients who I’ve told not to return unless they don’t bring their kids.

Inevitably, this has cost me a few patients and probably gotten me a few bad reviews online. But I really don’t care. Good patient care, not to mention sanity, requires as few distractions as possible. And if I can’t practice good patient care, what’s the point of wasting the patient’s and my own time?

Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz.

One of the most infuriating things in a medical practice (or probably anywhere) is when people don’t supervise their kids.

I have nothing against kids. I’m not a pediatrician, but that’s more of a personality thing.

Like any adult neurologist, I don’t see kids, and my office isn’t set up for them. Most parents are aware of this. They either don’t bring them, or when unavoidable, bring stuff to keep them busy: Nintendos, books, iPhone games, etc.

But some assume my office is a day care, and this is a serious problem. I have no idea if my colleagues down the street at the Mayo Clinic have to put up with shenanigans like this, but unfortunately in a typical office practice, it happens too often.

If I step out of the office for something, I’ve had parents do things like handing my examining tools (including fragile things like an ophthalmoscope) to their children to play with or let them look through my desk drawers. Others have allowed their children to randomly run through the halls of my office or even ask my secretary if they can sit at her desk so she can keep them busy. After all, she has a computer. Why can’t their kids play on it? Never mind that she’s constantly scheduling or looking up charts with it.

These same parents also get irate when told no, or are asked to control their kids. I’ve been accused of hating children, being unreasonable, and being unaccommodating.

I’m not in the habit of disciplining other people’s kids. I don’t want someone to do it to mine, and I won’t do it to theirs. In the rare cases when a kid’s behavior makes a visit impossible, I’ve asked people to leave. There are even some patients who I’ve told not to return unless they don’t bring their kids.

Inevitably, this has cost me a few patients and probably gotten me a few bad reviews online. But I really don’t care. Good patient care, not to mention sanity, requires as few distractions as possible. And if I can’t practice good patient care, what’s the point of wasting the patient’s and my own time?

Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz.