ABSTRACT
The environment of a medical office can play a pivotal role in making pediatric patients and their families comfortable. Engaging decorations, bright colors, toys, and play areas often help calm nervous children. A bulletin board with patient photos and cards may soften the feel of the office. Every effort should be made to allow parents to be with their child at all times to provide reassurance. Each physician’s style and personality is different, but often those who deal with children forego the formality of a white coat so that the encounter might be more familiar to the patient. It is important upon entering the examination room first to engage the patient in gentle conversation, when possible, to develop rapport and place the child at ease. If the child is old enough, history taking generally begins with the child and is supplemented by parental input.
