Your Child's Orthopaedics Appointment

You will receive a reminder call in the week before your child's scheduled appointment. We encourage you to sign up for MyCHOP for access to your child's medical record.

If you are scheduled for a video visit with a CHOP Orthopaedics provider, sign in to your MyCHOP account to ensure you can successfully access your account. If you have questions, or need to sign up for MyCHOP, please call us. Before your appointment, read these instructions for getting set up for video visits. If necessary, our staff will contact you with instructions on how to upload radiology imaging for you telehealth visit.

What to bring

Please make sure you bring the following to your child's first appointment:

  • Appointment information: doctor's name, building name/location, time of appointment.
  • Insurance information and cards. Please provide any authorization your insurance company may require. You should call your insurance company to get this information.
  • Co-pay or co-insurance for the visit. If you have any questions, please call 1-800-664-7855.
  • Phone and fax numbers of your child’s primary care physician and pharmacy.
  • Copies of all medical records related to the reason for your appointment, such as X-rays, lab tests and immunization records — even if results are normal. 
  • Radiology films on a disc
  • A parent or legal guardian must be present for the first consultation. If you are a legal guardian, please bring proof of guardianship. Please bring a copy of your child's birth certificate if the child's name has been legally changed.
  • Medications: Bring all of the medications your child currently takes — including over-the-counter medications — in a bag. If you’d prefer to write a list of medications, we will need the medicine name, dosage, frequency, prescribing doctor, pharmacy name and phone number, as well as how long your child has been using this medication. Most families find it easier to toss everything in a bag and bring it along!
  • Jot down any questions or comments so you don’t forget all the things you wanted to ask, or tell your child’s doctor.
  • Other items: We encourage you to bring toys, books and/or snacks to keep your child or children occupied and content while waiting. Fasting is not required for your child's visit.

A note about referrals

If your insurance company requires a referral before your child can be examined at CHOP, please contact your child's primary care provider. The provider will need to know the date of your child's upcoming visit and orthopaedic provider numbers. Referrals need to be in place at the time of your child's appointment at CHOP or the visit may be delayed or rescheduled. 

When you arrive

We encourage you to arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment so we register your child with our staff at the front desk.

If you arrive late, you risk being seen later or having your appointment rescheduled. Please call us at 215-590-1527 if you are running late. If you need to cancel your appointment, please give us 72 hours notice. Another family will be grateful for your time.

During your child's exam

When your child’s name is called, you and your child will be sent for an X-ray or escorted to an examination room. During check-in, our clinical team will obtain your child's vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, weight and height.

In a private exam room, our clinical team will:

  • Take a full medical history of your child, including any family history of illness.
  • Review your child's medications and allergies. Please remember to bring any prescriptions or over-the-counter medications your child is taking.
  • Discuss your child’s symptoms, what brings you to this visit, and possible next steps.

You will have the opportunity during this initial patient visit to discuss your child’s symptoms and ask questions. There will be additional opportunities at future visits to ask follow-up questions.

Scheduling diagnostic and testing services

Your child's initial visit may result in additional testing to establish or confirm your child's diagnosis. For this reason, we ask you to bring your calendar so we can schedule further testing for your child if needed.

Please check with your insurance plan to make sure your child is permitted to have testing performed at CHOP. In some cases, a referral from your insurance company and/or a consultation with a Children's Hospital physician may be necessary.

Follow-up

After your child's initial visit, you will receive a visit summary form detailing the examination, recommended next steps (such as testing) and instructions for your child's care.

A copy of the summary report will be sent to your child’s physician to ensure your child's care plan is well coordinated and communicated.


Next Steps
Appointments, Referrals and Video Visits
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Why Choose Us

Children's Hospital's Division of Orthopaedics is one of the largest and most active pediatric orthopaedic centers in the world.

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Would you like a second surgical opinion from a CHOP expert?

Our referral nurse navigator can give your family timely access to world-renowned pediatric orthopaedic surgeons in every specialty.