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Same here. I feel like doctors need some major push back, as proven by this covid thing, but no one wants to do it. Defund the police? I say defund the doctors.
I even generally like my doctor but I feel like she and her office are trying to fire me. I believe this is a tactic doctors use because they are ethically required to take anyone who shows up. So they try to annoy people they don't want. Recently I made an appointment for my doctor for an office visit. I believe she doesn't like going into the office because of the corona. Even though I made it through a portal, her nurse called the next day to ask question about the issue. She didn't get me so she left a number. The number was the main number so I had to through 18 or 19 levels of voice mail to get her. And she wasn't at her desk. So I left a voice mail. When she called back, I was busy, you know, I do have a job. She left me another vague message and asked me to call her. After 3 rounds of this... I got her and she wanted to know my symptoms so she could see if the appointment was appropriate.
Look lady, I will decide if the appointment is appropriate. But I played along. She then told me she wanted me to come in sooner. Of course that effectively made it so I could NOT have an appointment with my doctor but rather a Nurse Practitioner. No thanks. I am sure that is much more profitable for you, but I only want to see the doctor. She tried to freak me out about the issue but she was overreacting in the extreme and I told her no I would wait. But this *pre visit* visit has never been in place before.
The very next day I had another nurse *pretend* she didn't know about the first nurse and try the same thing. I just ignored her call. This is absolutely outrageous. But I am determined to play the game better than them.
Personally I have defaulted to a lot of things that I do myself. Currently you can
- get blood tests on your own. (some insanely cheap)
- get alternative medicine on your own.
- read the same medical studies that your doctor has access to ( but is typically too lazy to read ).
I really can't think of too many doctors I like. In fact I can't think of any as far as professionally. I just went to an orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation of my knee. They took x-rays. The assistant mainly spoke to me, rustled my knee around to see where it hurt. Then the doctor came in, showed me the x-rays and where the bones were rubbing against each other. No cartilege there. Then I spoke to him about my hip which is a source of pain. So then he told me I need to see a hip doctor. He also told me the recovery from a hip replacement is much easier than from a knee replacement.
But when I was leaving, I mentioned that I could not bend my knee so as to get to cut my toenails and he said, "See a podiatrist!" I thought that was such a stupid answer. Because I wanted to know why my knee would not bend. And if it would if I had a replacement. He thought his remark was funny. I thought it was dumb. But since I was on my way out of the office, he did not answer me beyond his idea that I should see a podiatrist to get my toenails cut.
This is one reason why I don't like doctors. He is top-rated though.
Cindi - that sounds like a pretty impatient and uninvolved doctor. Definitely a bad experience.
But there are some good doctors out there that value the patient doctor relationship.
I really can't think of too many doctors I like. In fact I can't think of any as far as professionally. I just went to an orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation of my knee. They took x-rays. The assistant mainly spoke to me, rustled my knee around to see where it hurt. Then the doctor came in, showed me the x-rays and where the bones were rubbing against each other. No cartilege there. Then I spoke to him about my hip which is a source of pain. So then he told me I need to see a hip doctor. He also told me the recovery from a hip replacement is much easier than from a knee replacement.
But when I was leaving, I mentioned that I could not bend my knee so as to get to cut my toenails and he said, "See a podiatrist!" I thought that was such a stupid answer. Because I wanted to know why my knee would not bend. And if it would if I had a replacement. He thought his remark was funny. I thought it was dumb. But since I was on my way out of the office, he did not answer me beyond his idea that I should see a podiatrist to get my toenails cut.
This is one reason why I don't like doctors. He is top-rated though.
This is also part of what my doctor refers to as managed care. The doctor does specifically what the doctor does. And he kind of has to do that because of the insurance companies. We would probably get better care if we could get rid of the damn insurance companies who think they know everything, and don’t know very much at all.
My primary care physician is a board-certified surgeon. After a few years of surgery practice, he decided to go into general practice. There were a few years we didn’t have insurance. My husband had a cyst on his back, that popped internally. He went to the doctor and the doctor took it out. Stitched him up. He was qualified.
I really do like my doctor. He was the one who told me something after my sister had a mini stroke, TIA, eight years ago. I noticed she wasn’t quite right. I asked him how long it would take before she would get OK, back to normal. He looked at me for a second, did a deep intake of breath and said, shaking his head just very small movement, he said “dementia”.
He’s not a psychic, he’s a very good doctor. She’s got dementia.
I also feel like he’s not this godlike figure, he’s a partner in my healthcare plan. We work together, we’re a team. That’s very important for me. I tend to get a little passive aggressive with authority figures.
I rarely go to the doctor for myself. I managed to go ten years without a doctor visit, until three years ago, when I ended up having both a knee and a hip replacement. Because of my joint replacements, I also had a bone density test, and decided to have a well woman exam. Haven't been to a doctor for myself since.
I'm not anti doctor, not into alternative medicine, and not into any fad diet or exercise plans. I apparently have a naturally moderate appetite which keeps my weight under control without much effort on my part, and I like to walk, so I do lots of it. Obviously I have arthritis, but for the most part OTC medicines control the pain well enough. If I have another major complaint, I will definitely seek medical help, but my personal choice is to skip the routine physicals and tests, and manage problems on my own whenever possible. Quite honestly, I am at least as healthy, if not healthier, than my friends who do the routine tests and run to the doctor with nearly every symptom that crops up.
However, my husband has Parkinson's, so I spend plenty of time in doctor's offices. He has an internist, a neurologist, and a urologist, and sees all of them very regularly. I go along on every appointment because he's not capable of managing his own care at this point. Right now we absolutely love all of his doctors, but I NEVER lose sight of the fact that these are professionals that we pay to administer care.
Because of my husbands symptoms and appearance, it's often way too easy for people to treat him as if he's a child. On our first visit, we had one doctor walk in, look DOWN at my husband, and start to lecture him. I gently and very politely pointed out that my husband is a 73 year old adult, with absolutely no health problems not caused by Parkinson's. To his credit, the doctor apologized, and immediately changed his tone. He's now one of the doctor's we see regularly and we like him a lot.
Caring for my husband is stressful just about every day. Since we have to spend so much time seeing doctors, I refuse to add the stress of dreading the appointments. If I'm not comfortable for any reason, we find another doctor. We don't have to be best friends, but they do have to treat my husband with compassion and respect, as well as work to alleviate symptoms, and explain everything fully and completely so we can make informed decisions.
It might help that I have a couple of relatives who are doctors, so I know only too well that they are good, but flawed human beings just like the rest of us. We are not "patients". We are "medical consumers", otherwise known as CUSTOMERS. If you aren't satisfied, try another clinic, which is really a medical store selling medical services.
I agree with others that say to find another doctor. I have a GP that always gives me plenty of time. But she has two PAs that are even better at listening and giving me time. One in particular followed up with half a dozen emails and a few phone calls when she was worried about my condition. No doctor that I had ever gone to ever did a follow up like that. I highly recommend my GP and her PAs to everybody I talk to.
But I also understand that there are dangers in being too good or too caring. Doctors, like businesses, can become too busy and too much in demand to give the time that they once had. Also the 'system' can pressure them to spend less time and make more money. Hopefully that will never happen to my doctor and her assistants, but I know it is a possibility.
Right now I have a dental hygienist that always slips and hurts when she cleans my teeth. She is an older woman and I am having a hard time considering if I should simply ask for another, there are several in the same building. Because I have had her so long I almost feel obligated, but I really want to try another one! I understand these decisions are not always easy and I really don't want it to look as a vote of no confidence.
Go "fishing" from the dentist's office---
Call and ask what days the hygienist you don't like is there and any days she is not scheduled. Make it seem you are trying to determine when to schedule. Call back at a later date and time and schedule an appt for a day she's not there. Problem solved tactfully!
^^^
I did this with a pediatrician I didn't like in a group practice. It worked and I didn't offend anyone, which would only come back on me - and, in that case, my kids!
Yeah, doctors can be real jerks. My rec is to think about what is the important info you need, and list the questions you want to ask. Go into the appointment armed with determination and your list. Don’t waste time. Be direct. The doc is only allotted 15 minutes to see you. Make the most of those 15 minutes.
You mentioned your knee in passing, and you included the detail of “toenails.” That’s all the doc heard. If you had asked early in the appointment about your stiff knee you might have gotten better info.
We should not have to “prepare” for a doc’s appointment, but to get the most out of our measly 15 minutes with the exalted one, I think it best to go in with purpose.
I really can't think of too many doctors I like. In fact I can't think of any as far as professionally. I just went to an orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation of my knee. They took x-rays. The assistant mainly spoke to me, rustled my knee around to see where it hurt. Then the doctor came in, showed me the x-rays and where the bones were rubbing against each other. No cartilege there. Then I spoke to him about my hip which is a source of pain. So then he told me I need to see a hip doctor. He also told me the recovery from a hip replacement is much easier than from a knee replacement.
But when I was leaving, I mentioned that I could not bend my knee so as to get to cut my toenails and he said, "See a podiatrist!" I thought that was such a stupid answer. Because I wanted to know why my knee would not bend. And if it would if I had a replacement. He thought his remark was funny. I thought it was dumb. But since I was on my way out of the office, he did not answer me beyond his idea that I should see a podiatrist to get my toenails cut. This is one reason why I don't like doctors. He is top-rated though.
Do you want a Good Dr with bad bedside manner or a bad Dr with good bedside manner?
Your choice
As for, the see a podiatrist part, he already knew you had knee issues from your x-rays and what his assistant told him. If you don't like him, see someone else. It's as easy as that!
Yeah, doctors can be real jerks. My rec is to think about what is the important info you need, and list the questions you want to ask. Go into the appointment armed with determination and your list. Don’t waste time. Be direct. The doc is only allotted 15 minutes to see you. Make the most of those 15 minutes.
You mentioned your knee in passing, and you included the detail of “toenails.” That’s all the doc heard. If you had asked early in the appointment about your stiff knee you might have gotten better info.
We should not have to “prepare” for a doc’s appointment, but to get the most out of our measly 15 minutes with the exalted one, I think it best to go in with purpose.
I agree. Unfortunately insurance often has a lot of limitations when you see the specialist, especially orthopedics and similar specialties. If you got a referral for your knee, got x-rays for the knee, and suddenly start going on about the hip the entire appointment with just a short talk about the knee at the end, it is going to make it hard for the orthopedist to do anything. He would probably need to have x-rays or some other imaging of your hip. Some types of insurance also limit you to talking about only one issue per short appointment (again, not the patient’s issue or fault, but an unfortunate reality). It’s best to get everything out there at the beginning, starting with the main reason you are there, and then work your way to other issues if there is time.
I really can't think of too many doctors I like. In fact I can't think of any as far as professionally. I just went to an orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation of my knee. They took x-rays. The assistant mainly spoke to me, rustled my knee around to see where it hurt. Then the doctor came in, showed me the x-rays and where the bones were rubbing against each other. No cartilege there. Then I spoke to him about my hip which is a source of pain. So then he told me I need to see a hip doctor. He also told me the recovery from a hip replacement is much easier than from a knee replacement.
But when I was leaving, I mentioned that I could not bend my knee so as to get to cut my toenails and he said, "See a podiatrist!" I thought that was such a stupid answer. Because I wanted to know why my knee would not bend. And if it would if I had a replacement. He thought his remark was funny. I thought it was dumb. But since I was on my way out of the office, he did not answer me beyond his idea that I should see a podiatrist to get my toenails cut.
This is one reason why I don't like doctors. He is top-rated though.
It wasn't off-base for the orthopedist to recommend a podiatrist when you mentioned toenails. Some podiatrists offer services related to foot care including bunions, callouses, toenails, senior foot care (some seniors cannot do the care themselves). They might call it "foot care clinic" and those services are usually provided by medical assistants. I was surprised to learn about such services when my husband had a bunionette once (the podiatrist just sliced if off and it hasn't grown back), since we do pedicures ourselves at home. As for the "can't bend my knee" complaint, that is the orthopedist's domain and he should help you with that.
Perhaps you went in with a huge laundry list of complaints, instead of focusing on the thing that was the main problem. Ever notice that doctors ask "What brings you here today? What is your chief problem?"
While I would expect most orthopedists to know both the hip and knee joint, maybe your healthcare provider (HMO?) specialize so much that they forward hip complaints to some specific orthopedists and knee problems to other orthopedists.
Go see another doctor. There a good doctors out there. My orthopedic doctor was fantastic. He treated me for a broken ankle, repaired my rotator cuff, and repaired my torn meniscus.
That is nice to know. I have been to at least 4 orthopedic doctors for an evaluation, they all tell me the same thing (I need a knee replacement), but do not take the time to address my concerns. One even asked me if I was in the habit of interrupting when I asked him to explain something. I think next time someone does that to me I should just leave. I know people are people, but -- I think they try to get rid of the patient as quickly as possible.
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Solly says — Be nice!
