Another bad doctor appt story
 

Went to my GP today for a bad back and I noticed the nurse was very cool and curt. Did her thing...no chit chat.....did not seem interested in mine. She said, "doc is with a patient and there is one ahead of you so you'll have to wait" I thought "geez, she must be really busy or something". Then the doc comes in and acts the same way. Keeping chit chat out, not asking about how I have been doing etc. She showed me some stretching exercises and gave me a pamphlet on exercises and started to get ready to leave. I asked if I could talk to her about a couple more things and she said, "No. Unfortunatley we are out of time and I have to set time limits per patient. Make another appointment for your second concern and then make a third appointment for the other concern". I said, "Well one is just a medication refill I need". And she said, "yes, that will need an appointment on its own". Then she left the room. Well, I waited patiently for my appointment, got about 10 minutes of service......and DING! times up.

Now........I am thinking......what the h*ll? My insurance does not pay for office calls so I have to come back 2 more times and pay $90 each to discuss each item alone???????? I asked the lady at the desk the same question and she said "excuse me?" sarcastically. Then she told me yes I would need a separate appointment for each concern, then stared at me with this "whatcha gonna do bout it" look.

I went home and got a new doctor....called the old office and faxed over a medical release statement to get my records (which I have to pay $1 per page) and told them I would not be needing those extra appointments.:p

Wow...what a way to make a person feel cared for, huh?
Glad you took action and got a new dr. As my trainer told me, "You need to be your own patient advocate." Good job!:D

This is how all my appointments go with my GP:

Doc: "Hey, how are you doing?"

Me: "Good, and you?", or "Not so good :(, you?"

Doc: "I'm great". "What can I do for you today?"

Me: "I have three issues" (which I have listed on a paper); headaches, urinary hesitency, and I need a new LDN rx"

Doc: "Ok, I'll start with the rx" (which is the obvious priority)

... now we are 5 minutes into it . . .

Doc: "Ok, tell me about the headaches?"

Me: Blah, blah, blah

Doc: Blah, blah, blah

... now we are 10 minutes into it . . .

Doc: "Now, as for the the hesitancy . . . does it hurt when you urinate?"

Me: "A little burning, maybe"

Doc: "How long has this been going on?"

Me: "A week or so"

Doc: Do you have any MS symptoms acting up?

Me: "Just some new numbness in my feet."

... 15 minutes has passed and times up . . .

Doc: "Well, I am going to have the nurse do a UTI test, and will fill out a rx in case it comes back positive". "If it does, we will call back by tomorrow to tell you to fill it." "If it doesn't, I want to you back here next week to do some further testing, to see if you should be referred to a urologist".

Then there are other times when I bring my daughter in for something, and as long as I have told the receptionist before hand (she has pulled my chart), he will try to fit both of us into a 15 min consult.

Of course there are times that take longer then 15 min for one issue too . . . and he doesn't kick me out if he is not done on that one issue before the time is up.

I respect his schedule cause I hate to be the next patient who is waiting for someone who takes far longer then is scheduled for their visit.

Cherie

... (oh, and sometimes we just sit and take about baseball for the last 12 min of my visit ;) )

Cherie

What the heck? That is unacceptable to say the least. I am glad you got a new doctor.

Good grief.....I'd look for a new doctor, too. Even if they do have to stick to a schedule it doesn't take anymore time to smile and say hello than it does to be snippy. :rolleyes:

I would have found it hard not to "voice" my concerns while I was there!! :o

The last time that I saw my regular doctor...about 6 months ago, I think...we ended up chatting for the first 10 or 15 minutes about what I was knitting and crocheting, and what his wife was currently crocheting. He was asking me if it's hard to learn to crochet or knit, and I told him they were both easy, just needs practice.

Then we chatted about whatever the problem was at the time, he explained stuff to me and gave me a Rx. After that, I asked him about a few of the issues that I had saved up to ask him about. Turned out he was in the exam room for about 35 to 40 minutes. (I think it was a slow day for him)


My neuro's appointment yesterday was probably about 10 or 15 minutes long. Not too much chitchat, but he at least he's pleasant, and explained things to me fairly well. We chitchatted a bit when he was walking me down the hall to the secretary's desk so I could make an appointment for later this year.

At least my neuro doesnt make me feel like I'm being talked down to. Had a jerk of an infectious disease doctor do that to me when they were trying to figure out if it was MS or Lyme disease before I got diagnosed. Actually two infectious disease doctors...and they were both not originally from the United States, and they seriously needed to brush up on their English skills. It's a bit annoying to be talked down to in broken English.

I am so sorry that there are Dr's out there that make the entire medical community look bad! I once worked for a Dr (not long and it makes me choke to call him a Dr) that had us set a egg timer for 5 minutes for what he called his problem Pt's, and then we had to knock on the door and tell him he had a important phone call!! I am so ashamed that I did not have the guts to report the spineless SOB to the state medical board!! I was at the time too afraid he would somehow manage to blackball me in the medical field and that I would never find work! There are many out there like these 2 I have no doubt but Thank God there are also some wonderful Dr's out there and I am thankful to have one of them and I hope your new one is at least half as good as mine because that would still make them a great Dr! I really feel bad that you were treated so shabbily!

You are a better person than I am. I would have made a bunch more appointments and no-showed them all.:rolleyes:

back specialist sees me....well i think its him...its his flunkie....He has me undress....ok...i've done that....i am now undressed with the silly robe on....

i have limited movement plus motion....i now notice the f'ing shades are open and women are sipping on diet cokes, smoking cigarettes and sharing stories of their day....i'm like this really s---ks!!

15 minutes later...the real doc cam in.....now i am also involved in a workers comp case...but this stuff is a separate entity i saw to it.....

the doc asks me questions about the attorney...i answer....we digress more questions about the attorney just worded differently......we move on....then we digress...now i'm on fire...he tells me i'm going to have to learn to live with the pain as he is in THE HALL.......i wait go to the door.....Excuse me...excuse me...finally a voice answers can i help you.....I ask am i all set here? very shaky in my cadence because I have no idea what transpired.....like a movie the question is repeated a few times down the hall....A head sticks out about 4 doors down....its the flunkie....ya ya all set....

Almost like a rejected child at the playground say um um thank you......I try to shut the shades.....that only brings attention to me............
I get dressed.....stumbled out to my ride, remembering for what ever reasons the not in kids in school......the ones who sit in the lunch room at the table alone.......

My ride excited asks me how it went......I was to embarassed to share.....
I was angry...but I was ashamed...then I was angrier because I was ashamed......I returned home to my wife.....Ashamed to tell her.......

Now I going to open up......When I spoke with my wife....I was angry...mad......then the tears flowed....

I share my soul with you....I feel your pain.....I say a prayer for the ones I know here and the ones I don't......

I just wish we could form a group that would hold the meglomaniac doctors accountable.....we share this...we are all very ill......these doctors by the stress they cause....cause us to be sicker...in my opinion....


My heart goes out to you:hug:

i'm sorry if the gramma is off and if it doesnt make sence....im not to well.....

just trying to stay i n touch with you all


pete

Gosh sounds like the military......you can wait two hours for the doctor but then you have 15 minutes 14.5 of which they use trying to figure out who you are!

talk about a load of BS

Glad you have a new doc, i personally would of popped a cork on that doc

I would call the AMA on that doc

I think, after having an appointment like that, I would have left the office, saying loudly...."This would be a nice place for a Doctor's Office". :rolleyes:

I think you did the right thing about finding a new doc. I would've blown a gasket myself, especially about the med refill. :eek:

Hope the new doc is a good one. :hug:

i agree with finding a new dr.
that's over the top to have to make 2 separate appts.

i know that my dr also makes 15" appts. if i think i need more time i tell the receptionist when i make the appt.

i come with a list of Q's which we take care of pretty fast.
but, my dr will give me more time if we really need it.

that dr visit counts as one of the suckiest i've heard.

Good points, NN. :)

Chances are that they were just having a bad day. Maybe you came in the middle of a domestic argument ;), or perhaps the 5 patients before you all took way more time then they scheduled.

I can schedule two 15 min appointments back-to-back with my doc as well. It's not that he minds spending the extra time with a patient, it's just that some people have NO regard for the doctor's schedule. Sounds like they just took that out on you, Karilann. :hug:

It's my experience that they do want to prioritize the patient's complaints though, and first take care of what is critical on the list. This does mean we might need to schedule additional appointments, unfortunately . . . but I know there have been times I could have monopolyzed my doctor all day (if he had let me ;)). :(

Cherie

My MD and I chit chat, BS, shoot the breeze, and chat about sx, diseases, warnings, and meds, and friends, and hubby, and dang! it sounds like your MD is a jerk! move on! it sounds like she is extremely over scheduled, and overstressed herself. I wouldnt want her behind the wheel if I was in crisis.

So, you go in for your medication, but say "i have chest pain and it runs down my arm, and I am short of breath and sweating. whats that about?" will you be told to make a new appointment? it sound like her whole office is over scheduled. from reception to nurses. RUN run far, run fast but RUN.

Good for you, Karilann!! I hope your new doctor is great!

I agree with Cherie in saying these are all good points! If a doctor only has 10 minutes to spend with you, they can at least tack on a prescription refill if it's not problematic or needing discussion. I understand needing to make a new appointment for a substantial issue that you bring up during or at the end of an appointment (instead of letting the scheduler know about it, or at least letting the doc know at the outset that you need to discuss it, so they can structure the visit accordingly or tell you at the outset that you'll need to make another appointment for that).

Say, where do some of you people find those doctors who have time to chit-chat? Not that I require chit-chat, but it would be nice to have a doctor who has TIME for chit-chat, which I could use for asking questions.

The only doctors who've ever done any chit-chat with me are two of the ear doctors, and it's not personal chit-chat but usually something about insurance coverage or general talk about ears and balance and surgery. I do appreciate their being able to take a few extra minutes to share such info with me.

Primary care doctors have NEVER EVER chatted with me. They are in and out so fast you're left there stunned, wondering "Is my appointment over? Is she, or somebody, coming back with a prescription or something? Am I supposed to leave now?" My new PCP doesn't do that, he's very nice and attentive, but he doesn't have time for chit-chat. That's fine with me, because he treats me as a human being instead of a piece of furniture. I think many doctors forget how much it can mean to simply look a patient in the eye and say a pleasant "hello" and "goodbye."

Nancy T.

Karilann - if it is not too late, you should sign a medical release for your new doctor to get your medical records from Dr. A$$H*LE. Shouldn't cost a thing is the doctor is asking for them.

I have been treated pretty shabby by two doctors lately but you not being able to get a prescription refilled while there is inexcusable.

So sorry for your poor experience. YES ask the next doc to get your records free.

I totally disagree with HOW they treated you even in they addressed ALL your issues at that appt.

Having worked in the healthcare business, they are to meet productivity and MUST have the "reason" match the time they are "allowed" or they get into trouble. I have seen MDs get fired for their low productivity and "talking" too long to your patients interrupts those higher ups that dictate this kind of thing. Isn't that sad? Its just awful.

So, I remember a young, whipper-snapper get overtly upset when I came in for a short appt time but had a much BIGGER problem not able to be addressed in that time slot. She wanted to go and yell at the receptionist when I intervened and said, I told them it was BP related when it turn out to be a neuro problem which affected my blood pressure. How do you label that to tell the receptionist the reason.

BUT no matter what the "business" part demands, rudeness is never to be tolerated. I had a PCP and her nurse asst who NEVER smiled or made small talk. NEVER so I put that on their survey. Luckily switched.

Next PCP was not as busy a practice BUT she always always addressed EVERYTHING to be efficient and her nurse was a blessing, caring and remembered YOU and your issues !!

So... good for you!! Your leaving sent them a message.. the problem remains, Did they get that message??? Hmmm..

Take care, Jan

I found mine because having worked for years as a home health nurse I knew the A holes and the good ones from my dealings with them so I remembered this one Dr that when on call on weekends was always nice, pleasant and treated her Pt's wonderful so I chose her as mine! Find a nurse if possible and see if she can recommend a pleasant Dr! They know, believe me!! If a Dr is rude and uncaring to the nurse that treats his Pt's, you can bet he will be rude and uncaring with you too! I at least have found that to be true!
Good luck in finding a great one, you certainly deserve it after that treatment (or I should say lack of)!

Hey Karilanne! That appt was totally unappropriate, no matter if they were running late or not. Rudeness is not acceptable in a Dr's office.. I give you Kudo's for not telling them where to stick their next 2 appts.

I had bronchitis and had to see a Dr on call. He walked in, listened to my chest, wrote an RX and walked out. I didn't have a chance to get more than a few sentences out. I looked at the script and it was for Penicillin, of which I am highly allergic to.

I followed him to his office and while he was dictating, I said "Excuse me Dr, but I'm sick and I have to tell you that I'm allergic to Penicillin.

He shut his recorder off and abruptly asked me why I hadn't told him that? I said "You didn't give me a chance and it's on my record AND I told your nurse". He turned red, scribbled out another RX and I left!

I told my reg PCP about it and he was livid at my treatment.

So, remember, they can have a bad day, but your'e not exactly feeling peachy if your'e at the Dr's office.

So glad you won't be going back there Karilanne.

Good luck w/the new Doc. You pay good money and should get appropriate treatment. take care.

Karilanne - that just isn't right.... and thats all I got to say!

I hope things in the future look better for you!!

I agree - regardless of the reason, they should not have treated you badly. Period and eclaation mark!

I would go to a new doc and let that new docs office request your old records (a professional courtesy extended gratis). I also suggest you compose a letter to your old MD's "boss" stating your reasons for leaving the practice. CC your old MD.

I bet you get a formal apology and also that they have a discussion of courtesy to patients at the next all staff meeting. This may not fix the problem for you, but you will hopefully have effected(affected?) institutional change.

Way to go for standing up for yourself as a human being and a patient. My hat is off to you:hug:

i found my chit chatty MD in the back woods of NH. He is accustomed to dealing with the very elderly, and the drug seekers. I am the young one that is really sick and a challenge to deal with. I dont whine, moan or complain. I try to be cheerful, even when I feel crappy, and I try to not take out my bad day on his staff.

I have been told by the staff that they are surrounded by some drug seeking types that whine, cry and moan about how tough their day is and can you please sign my welfare papers, while coming into their appointment at 10am drunk! so, i guess I am a change of pace for him, and keep his brain muscle moving. He was the one who said "I think you have MS!" And then I called him an ****! and told him to knock it off. so, he was the one who discovered that I am really sick. I am grateful to him for that.

dont get me wrong, I have dealt with the dismissive MD, and I am NOT a happy camper in their office. I am moody, sullen and to the point. I only stay long enough to find a new MD.

That is just downright rude:mad:

I would call the better business bureau on them.

I also would write a letter to the doctor letting them know just how you feel!

That just ain't right