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It sounds like there is a supply/demand problem in your area.
I lived for 20 years in cities with no specialists. The practices outside my area that had them were able to accommodate within reasonable times.
It seems to me your solution could be the same- look outside your area for a surgeon who can fit you in.
You only have one body and one life. If you have to travel 1,000 miles or more to get it serviced, then do it. The illness management system that we have that masquerades as "health care" isn't going to cater to your schedule, you have to make it happen. And it's probably going to be inconvenient to get there.
I did contact my doctor's office and my doctor himself twice ever since late June (and it is now Aug 26), and they all said the same thing, as soon as the hospital where he will be preforming my surgery contacts them of the available date for surgery and operation room time is when they will contact me.
My doctor is amongst the best Ophthalmologists and surgeons in the city. His waiting area in his medical building is always packed to the hilt of patients seeing him for an appointment. My question is, since late June, is this happening to all of his patients that are awaiting a surgery date for an elective surgery in that same hospital, that 2 months went by and they still were not informed of the actual surgery date in advance, in which my elective surgery may be more urgent then theirs since how many of them have a large 5/8" cyst clinging uncomfortably to their eye like me to the point my eyelid is 1/3 closed?
Why isn't the health care system allowed by law to view this information of whos waiting and who gets the surgery first is beyond me. I'm sure if they were allowed to, they may be quite surprised of what it may reveal in regards to who that hospital contacts to get surgeries and who they have waiting for god knows how long and maybe even for no rightful reason if that's ever the case. I'm not saying it is that case, most likely no, but at least the heath care system should have access to this information including the doctor's complete history with each and every patient. Sorry folks, but doctors and hospitals have too much freedom to do whatever they want to do without a higher department looking into their complete conduct and history since day one. Something needs to change within the medical and health system.
While I haven't had your particular problem, dealing with health care has been driving me nuts for seventeen years.
Once my HMO suddenly refused to pay an outside provider, so I got a bill for $9000. Took several tries to get that straightened out.
Med pros don't listen to patients. I kept saying that the output from one drain looked infected, but it took them four months to finally discover it was infected. Sigh.
Schedulers lie. They tell you the doc is away, or at a conference, or has a surgery, then you talk to the doc and discover none of that is true, the scheduler didn't want to give the appointment for some other reason.
My doc said he wanted to see me in two weeks. Scheduler said he was going to be gone, and the soonest appointment was in six weeks. Two hours later, she calls to reschedule for a week earlier, because doc "was going to be doing more surgery". That changed in two hours, on his afternoon for seeing patients?
And I'd like to try a procedure that is supposed to help heal a couple of problems I've got, but they can't tell me for sure if my insurance will pay. They say that I would find out in a few weeks if insurance is paying. If they don't, I would already owe several thousand dollars, and would have to end the treatment prematurely.
There's this thing called pre approval, but I guess they can't be bothered.
I did contact my doctor's office and my doctor himself twice ever since late June (and it is now Aug 26), and they all said the same thing, as soon as the hospital where he will be preforming my surgery contacts them of the available date for surgery and operation room time is when they will contact me.
My doctor is amongst the best Ophthalmologists and surgeons in the city. His waiting area in his medical building is always packed to the hilt of patients seeing him for an appointment. My question is, since late June, is this happening to all of his patients that are awaiting a surgery date for an elective surgery in that same hospital, that 2 months went by and they still were not informed of the actual surgery date in advance, in which my elective surgery may be more urgent then theirs since how many of them have a large 5/8" cyst clinging uncomfortably to their eye like me to the point my eyelid is 1/3 closed?
Why isn't the health care system allowed by law to view this information of whos waiting and who gets the surgery first is beyond me. I'm sure if they were allowed to, they may be quite surprised of what it may reveal in regards to who that hospital contacts to get surgeries and who they have waiting for god knows how long and maybe even for no rightful reason if that's ever the case. I'm not saying it is that case, most likely no, but at least the heath care system should have access to this information including the doctor's complete history with each and every patient. Sorry folks, but doctors and hospitals have too much freedom to do whatever they want to do without a higher department looking into their complete conduct and history since day one. Something needs to change within the medical and health system.
Call the health care system!!! How do we know??????????????
If I remember correctly, you are in Canada and you keep asking us why?
My question is, since late June, is this happening to all of his patients that are awaiting a surgery date for an elective surgery in that same hospital,
.
no one here would have any way of knowing the answer to this.
also, I'm not sure what you mean by this: Why isn't the health care system allowed by law to view this information of whos waiting and who gets the surgery.
the scheduling desk knows who has asked to schedule a surgery.
Schedulers lie. They tell you the doc is away, or at a conference, or has a surgery, then you talk to the doc and discover none of that is true, the scheduler didn't want to give the appointment for some other reason.
And this is what I mean. They shouldn't be allowed to lie to a patient that a doctor is on vacation, at a conference, is away, when the doctor is available. It should be required when they inform you of this or other information, they should give you a written statement since that should be considered as part of your medical history with that particular doctor just as I said in my doctor's office when they informed me my appointment for surgery has been cancelled due to lack of operation room access and they will contact me once a date is made available, and I asked for a written statement of those exact words which they wouldn't provide, although they did give me the surgery appointment and preparation papers but without a surgery date on it.
All possible conduct and actions by doctors and hospitals towards every single patient should always be made available for review at any and all times by a higher department which includes waiting lists, all possible tests, treatments, surgery results, etc, every possible interaction and transaction between doctors/ hospitals and patients.
Quote:
Originally Posted by old fed
no one here would have any way of knowing the answer to this.
also, I'm not sure what you mean by this: Why isn't the health care system allowed by law to view this information of whos waiting and who gets the surgery.
the scheduling desk knows who has asked to schedule a surgery.
Forums are not always about getting precise answers to one's questions, its also about giving or getting opinions or thoughts, also if others have experienced the same situation, and to expose such happenings within the medical system since this is a health forum and not a sports or car forum.
My doctor said in an email,
if you have concerns regarding this, I would advise you to contact patient affairs or relations, and outline your concerns about lack of OR access. I want to help you in a suitably soon time frame, but I do not have control over this. You will be a priority, but I can only help you if I have adequate access to the operating room and the system is in a bind at present as we discussed. We still don’t have a firm date for your surgery due to lack of OR access as we discussed. We will be in touch as soon as we have a date for you. Hang in there.
I contacted patient relations (before my doctor's response) and asked them, what reason would that hospital have to not arrive at my surgery date in advance within 2 months? And they couldn't really answer that question, instead here are a few of their replies.--
I am sorry for the wait and delay in your surgery. I can understand how upsetting this is for you.
I spoke to your doctor’s office and they are awaiting a surgical block for OR (operating room) time from ... Health and they will follow up with you when that becomes available with your surgery date.
A surgeon’s office can also follow up with ... Health regarding OR surgical blocks directly. I shared that information and your doctor’s office is aware of this as well.
I confirmed with the clinical manager of that hospital that your surgeon’s office will reschedule your surgery. The surgeon is the one who prioritizes their list and which patients are scheduled when. The manager shared the hospital follows a systematic and fair distribution system for OR blocks to surgeons and your surgeon’s office can reach out to ...... Health regarding their OR time. Please contact your surgeon's office for when your surgery will be rescheduled.
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------------OK can you send me a written statement about all of this as part of my medical history? or i guess the emails will do?--------------Looks like i gotta wait and wait and late and wait for my surgery date------and late and wait at 2 months and 2 weeks they still don't know.-----
LAST QU-- if someone knows or has an opinion about it----What confirmation can that hospital provide me through my health card number that my name is in fact on a waiting list awaiting surgery that they received from my doctor? Sometimes a MISHAP can occur and a year or 2 can go by without a surgery date due to that mishap. This can and does happen. I bet it did. I guess this is the next question I will be asking patient relations.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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There are many reasons that could apply. A shortage of hospital workers (from doctors to nurses to cafeteria and janitorial staff) and a blood shortage, which must be available at the time are major contributors. Then there is the issue of priorities, and always having space for an emergency surgery to be handled. When they discovered my tumor in 2019 on a Friday, they immediately scheduled surgery for the following Monday. Elective surgery is much less of a priority but I would think that in normal circumstances, it wouldn't take that long to schedule. Unfortunately these are no longer normal times.
There are many reasons that could apply. A shortage of hospital workers (from doctors to nurses to cafeteria and janitorial staff) and a blood shortage, which must be available at the time are major contributors. Then there is the issue of priorities, and always having space for an emergency surgery to be handled. When they discovered my tumor in 2019 on a Friday, they immediately scheduled surgery for the following Monday. Elective surgery is much less of a priority but I would think that in normal circumstances, it wouldn't take that long to schedule. Unfortunately these are no longer normal times.
Not to mention (as has been mentioned already) the OP lives in Canada which has a completely different healthcare system than most posters here are familiar with. Why the OP keeps expecting useful answers from US members is a mystery. Usually more productive to get answers from the horse's mouth...that is, the right horse.
Ok, but here's a question anyone can answer or leave their opinion regardless where they live, since I would like to read your opinion on this before I send another email to patient relations and my doctor again.---
Is patient relations and my doctor saying 2 different things? My doctor has said, "Contact patient relations about lack of operation room access. I do not have control over this. I can only help if I have adequate access to the operating room and the system is in a bind at present."
Patient relations has said, "The surgeon is the one who prioritizes their list and which patients are scheduled when. The hospital follows a systematic and fair distribution system for operation room blocks to surgeons and your surgeon’s office can reach out to the hospital regarding their operation time. Please contact your surgeon's office for when your surgery will be rescheduled."
Patient relations has said my doctor can contact the hospital regarding operation time in order to reschedule my surgery and my doctor is saying he can't at this time due to lack of access to an operation room, as if they are saying 2 different things, are they? I would like your opinion about this before I contact patient relations and my doctor again. Thanks for your replies.
Last edited by len ren; 08-31-2023 at 10:10 PM..
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