<p>It has been my experience that parents often “doctor shop” until they hear what they want to hear, and anybody before that is then described as having “missed the diagnosis”. Persuit of antibiotics and stimulants comes to mind. It is much easier and faster to write a prescription than to educate, re-assure and say “no”. This is what concerns me about balancing patient (or parent) satisfaction with good medical care.</p>
<p>I haven’t had a problem with long waits at MD offices – with a variety of independent, hospital related group and big HMO practices. Occasionally you hit a really bad day, for whatever reason, I figure that happens. If it happened every time we went I might feel differently.</p>
<p>For example, on the orthodonist front, D2 had one where we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for her to be seen. In and out in under 30 minutes always. It was amazing. We had a change in insurance and D3 was seen by a different orthodonist. We have to wait regularly 30-40 minutes. I have to plan that it will take 1 1/2 hours, and be happy when it doesn’t. I will admit that at one appointment when they said they couldn’t see her for another 8 weeks even though the dr. had put “recheck in 4 wks” on her chart, I asked politely, though very loudly so everyone in the waiting room, especially those there for consultations, could hear, “Are you saying that she can’t be seen when the doctor has requested because you have too many patients to give them the prescribed treatment?” I asked it about 3 times. D was majorly embarassed. But they sent out the office manager who gave me an appointment in 4 weeks. We haven’t had any more problems getting appointments. I’d love to see what they wrote about me in the chart!</p>
<p>my3girls, Do you think there might have been another way to handle that and still get the outcome you needed/wanted?</p>
<p>I tried to stay off this thread but here is my last post on this thread:</p>
<p>1) There are doctors and there are doctors. My mom’s early death caused partially by a doctor that is now has his license revoked. But the sad part is she is already dead and he is already very rich(the license does not matter to him) and a lot more bad medicine practices have happpened to a lot of patient since her death.</p>
<p>2) I agree with Jack, my family doctor always refer me to a specialist. He seems not to do any surgery even minor one, so all other posts about doctors have to be called for unexpected surgery does not make sense. My complaint is only with a family practician. </p>
<p>3) I agree it’s ok charge fee for the habitually late/skip to the appointment patient, especially if they did not call to cancel, as a deterrent for that behavior in the future, but I have never been charged for any late fee as long as I have been an adult, so I don’t think it’s a wise business practice.</p>
<p>4) Perhaps it’s not the doctor, maybe it’s the person that runs the front office who don’t seem to streamline the process real well. If there is a lot of complain then don’t overbook, leave a little bit of slack between patient.</p>
<p>5) I don’t bash all doctors, only a few bad apples. My doctor is also smart enough to understand my bitterness toward doctor base on my experience. In addition, I view my doctor as my partner in health, eventhough I only see him once a year for now but I could later on when I’m getting a lot older, so I don’t bash for the sake of bashing.</p>
<p>6) I think my response has always been if the doctor is late once or a few times that you can blame it on unforseen circumstances(stuff happens kind of thing) but if the doctor is habitually late, always make a patient wait more than 1.5 -2 hours in the waiting room then the patient has the right to get mad and get another doctor. It’s consider rude period. On the contrary if the patient is habitually late then the patient has to pay a fee because it’s also consider rude. But I understand we are all human and in this day and age of multi-tasking, an error can happen on both sides.</p>
<p>Absolutely. It was not my finest moment. But I will say that I was not rude, name-calling, vulgar, or even yelling just firm, truthful, repetitive and louder than normal.</p>
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<p>And then there are the ones who do, indeed, completely and utterly “miss the diagnosis.” And there are plenty who do, everyday.</p>
<p>Sorry I opened this Thread!! I guess I’ll just pay the fee and remind my attorney husband to start charging those docs before they leave his office so his debt can be paid as well! End of Story!!</p>
<p>“2) I agree with Jack, my family doctor always refer me to a specialist. He seems not to do any surgery even minor one, so all other posts about doctors have to be called for unexpected surgery does not make sense. My complaint is only with a family practician.”</p>
<p>I think the reference was to going to the hospital to see sick patients, not for surgery. Often these patients go the the ER and then get admitted and the primary care doctor then goes to the hospital to see them.</p>
<p>Being chronically late for patients is not a good habit. However, having patients come in who are ill and need work-ups and/or hospitalizations can be very unpredictable. </p>
<p>Specialists do procedures or surgery that primary care doctors aren’t trained to do, or don’t have time to do. Doing occasional procedures can make the malpractice rates rise, and unless the doctor has a high volume of them, then it becomes unaffordable.</p>
<p>That is why so many OB-GYNs don’t do deliveries anymore, or even surgery, because malpratice rates skyrocket if surgery is done by a doctor, ot certain procedures.</p>
<p>“Sorry I opened this Thread!! I guess I’ll just pay the fee and remind my attorney husband to start charging those docs before they leave his office so his debt can be paid as well! End of Story!!”</p>
<p>Clients pay attorneys far more in cash than patients with insurance pay in copays, and Medicaid patients have no copays, so I see no parallels.</p>
<p>“And then there are the ones who do, indeed, completely and utterly “miss the diagnosis.” And there are plenty who do, everyday.”</p>
<p>I suggest that we just eliminate the practice of medicine by doctors, and you can all self-diagnose and treat from the Internet.</p>
<p>And elsewhere on the forum…</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=355400[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=355400</a></p>
<p>collegialmom: As I’ve stated before, I have been treated by some excellent, dedicated, and very smart doctors. I feel very fortunate in that regard. I am also grateful that I have good insurance and am living in a part of the country with excellent and available healthcare (and near 2 major teaching/university hospitals).</p>
<p>That said, to deny that medical doctors are not unlike any other profession-- where the range of ability, dedication, and smarts runs the gamut-- is both a naive and arrogant position to take. Like any other profession, some are far superior to others. There are some who are simply not very good, nor very smart, and others who are brilliant, dedicated, well educated, and know what they’re doing–and then there are all those inbetween. Just like any other profession–and, contrary to popular opinion, MDs are not gods. ;)</p>
<p>Wow, you guys are harsh. I admit I haven’t read every single post, though.</p>
<p>Last Monday, I spent one and half hours waiting to see a specialist to plan out a biopsy of a growth on my femur. By the time he showed up I was annoyed, truly. But when he showed up, he apologized, and then proceeded to deal with me as if he had all the time in the world.</p>
<p>The surgery took an hour longer than he’d expected when he did in Thursday. I assume whomever was waiting to go after me was annoyed.</p>
<p>He took meticulous care with the muscles around the knee and I was able to leave the hospital–walking with a cane only–on Friday (when he listened to me about the crazy roommate, too). </p>
<p>Frankly, if I had to wait hours to see him the next time, I wouldn’t care. His time management practices may be a bit off, but I think it’s a surfeit of caring, not a shortage of brains.</p>
<p>BTW, the biopsy was benign.</p>
<p>To the OP: If you’re not satisfied with the way your physician handles the practice, then you’re certainly entitled to shop around and go elsewhere. I know that physicians who have boutique practices will make themselves available to patients in a timely manner and also sometimes round-the-clock. By the way, I’ve never heard of a physician charging for a phone call as lawyers do and they can charge whatever they feel like charging!</p>
<p>Jack: you finally told us that your MD’s are with major teaching hospitals and that explains a lot. They have interns and residents doing all the floor work. They don’t have to worry about billing/charges etc. because they are affiliated with the teaching hospital. Makes a huge difference. They are not truely in “private practice”. Apples and Oranges.</p>
<p>nyumom: I don’t believe that insurance will reimburse for phone consultations (except maybe in select specialties such as Psychiatry…those who know feel free to chime in…)</p>
<p>For those whose MD always refer to a specialist. Consider yourselves lucky and living in a world that will dissappear with the dinosaurs. Almost all insurance in california requires referrals to specialists to get prior authorization…it’s called managed care and that is what California and many other states deal with. FPs, internists, pediatricians can not refer wthout jumping thru major hoops. It is an unfortunate reality here.</p>
<p>Re: missed diagnoses…of course it happens. However, if you caluclate the number of diagnoses made every day and the ones missed, I would be the number is statistically very, very small.</p>
<p>Dmd77–benign–most wonderful word. Great news!</p>
<p>Dmd:</p>
<p>Great news, indeed. Like you, I was annoyed at waiting so long; at the same time, it was good to know that the other patient was getting thorough care (my visit was for post-surgery check-up by a truly excellent surgeon).
I’ve met patients who had to come in every day for 5 weeks (except sundays) for their radiation therapy. Some came from out of state and got up at 4am to catch a train, and did not return home until about 4pm. The treatment itself lasted only 15 minutes or so. They learned patience.</p>
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<p>blucroo: See my post on page 5 of this thread. </p>
<p>" . . . finally told us . . . " ?? I mentioned earlier that I have seen doctors, both in private practice (one on an annual basis), and have seen doctors connected to major teaching hospitals. No secret there and, again, was mentioned on page 5 of this thread–if not earlier. I certainly never confused the two, and I never said the ones in teaching hospitals were in private practice. Once again, I am fortunate that I am living in an area of the country (and have great insurance), where I can make that choice if I need to do so.</p>
<p>I now can’t remember if you said you were an MD or just married to one. Either way, you need to get over yourself. As I said before, plenty of great MDs out there, and plenty who aren’t–just like any other profession.</p>
<p>“Either way, you need to get over yourself.”</p>
<p>uncalled for but not unexpected.</p>