Your Child's Musculoskeletal Tumor Program Appointment

When you arrive for your appointment, please register with our staff at the front desk. You will then go in a waiting room with other patients and their families. Our staff is very familiar with very young, or older patients, coming to CHOP.

Depending on whether you have current imaging studies or not, you will either be referred to our on-site expert radiologists who can perform X-rays the same day as your appointment, or you will be directly escorted to a private examination room.

During check-in, our clinical team will obtain your child's vital signs such as temperature, weight and height.

Our goal for an initial visit is to better understand the problem at hand, plan the next steps accordingly and provide you with the necessary resources to cope with this issue. In a private exam room, our clinical team will:

• Take a full medical history of your child, including any family history of illness.
• Review the New Patient Form (PDF) with you and your child (if this is your first visit).
• 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 any other issues or concerns. You will have the opportunity during this initial patient visit to discuss your child’s symptoms and ask questions. Please jot down any questions or comments you’d like to share. This will ensure you get as much information as you need now. There will be additional opportunities at future visits to ask follow-up questions.
• Dr. Dormans and his team will complete a thorough physical exam and review any X-rays or other imaging you’ve brought with you.
• Dr. Dormans will discuss the next best step, that may include further imaging and investigation or treatment and his team will schedule appropriate follow up appointments or investigations at that time.

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

• Appointment information: doctor's name, building name/location, time of appointment.
• Copies of all medical records related to the reason for your appointment, such as X-rays, MRIs, CT’s, lab tests and immunization records — even if results are normal. Please remember to ask for the official read of the radiologist for outside imaging you will bring.
• Phone and fax numbers of your child’s primary care physician, or referring physician, and pharmacy.
• Insurance information and cards. Please provide any authorization your insurance company may require. You should call your insurance company to get this information.
• A parent or legal guardian must be present for the first consultation.
• If you are a legal guardian, please bring proof of guardianship.
• Your child's Social Security number and that of the parent/guardian with insurance coverage will be requested, but is not mandatory to provide.
• A copy of your child's birth certificate if the child's name has been legally changed.
• Medications: Please 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!
• 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.