Software development and taking your sick kid to the doctor have a lot in common.

Yesterday morning at work, we were discussing how to deal with support issues that needed being escalated to get assistance from QA and/or Development.

Then, daycare called that Hannah has a fever. And suddenly I was on the other end of the same problem.

I see it like this:

New development=preventative checkups, etc.

Bugs=non-urgent visits about a specific ailment

Support issues=sick

How does a doctor’s office fit in urgent care visits with the regularly scheduled appointments? How do developers fit in support issue work? How do you escalate a case from the initial phone call, to needing urgent care? How do you escalate a support case to a developer?

Specifically, I’m OK with not bringing her in right away if it’s just a routine virus that needs rest and tylenol. Which it seems be in this case, but how do I know it’s not an ear infection if I don’t bring her in? What’s a good parent to do, other than be the “squeaky wheel” to get an appointment?
If anyone has answers (from a software development or pediatric perspective) let me know!