We came for a visit and her usual doctor wasn't available. This new doctor flat out said, "I didn't get a chance to read your medical history so tell me what's going on." My wife was confused, because this was her third visit to check her hormone levels. it wasn't a checkup, but a followup.
And this doctor proceeds to not understand any of this, as she keeps asking her questions about why she might be there, instead of spending two minutes reading the medical history.
My wife ends up crying while Im sitting in the corner begging my wife we should just leave because shes not getting anything from this doctor.
It's a valid strategy to ask the patient to recap what brings them to the clinic. It's very common to hear a different story from the one in the booking system or in the medical history. I'm not sure about the system were you live but medical history often takes waaaaaaaaaay more than 2 min to read up on. Maybe the last visit was recorded and had yet to been transcribed? Those can be a pain to listen to. It feels very reasonable that the doctor didn't have time to read up on your history if they were covering for a sick/unavailable colleague.
I would 100% prefer a doctor that is upfront about not knowing my medical history over a (more commonly occurring) dumbass pretenting to know it.
It's regrettable that your doctor made you feel neglected. Fault them for that, not the questions.
Medical clinics are often overbooked, like airports. This is why they give you an appointment time that is generally thirty minutes early. ONE late person fucks the entire day’s schedule after their appointment time, that’s how tightly management insists on arranging it. Even the extra time slots of the past are being booked or even double booked in advance of the day. Docs are often given 10-15min per patient. Those other rooms you see in the hall? There are patients inside waiting for doc to go down the line, as staff keeps refilling those rooms down the line as the doc finishes. You think there’s time to read between? Oh you sweet summer child. That’s not on docs, that’s on corporate. Whatever company logo is stamped on the clinic and also on the nearby hospital, they’re the ones making it happen that way. Why? More patients crammed into each day means more $$$. Quantity over quality. Clinic docs are also paid by patient encounter. So this works together to arrange what we in healthcare commonly call a clusterfuck.
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This is the part that’s probably messing with you most. And it likely won’t change. In medical, the assessment is sacrosanct. And your own. You MUST do it yourself. You don’t just go with the assessment of the first person to do one and never check again, you always check again. Always. Every visit. A lot can change in half a day. A day. A week. A month. And the quality of assessment changes with each person. Each person. Medical isn’t robots, it’s people, and most data collection happens through people. Each medical staff, doc or NP or RN or PA, gets their own assessments before they begin, unless they’re utter garbage at their jobs. This doctor never assessed you before, which means, they MUST assess you now, per their licensing. Also, a good chunk of what’s in the chart is old news. What’s right in front of you contains the best data about the patients present state. And the speed at which a clinic is to move from patient to patient, 2 min to read a chart isn’t part of the schedule. Even logging in these days can take half that 10min time slot due to old crappy computers. Sure stuff like moms medical history, what tests you’ve had already, and meds (pharmacies e-record talks to your medical e-record these days) is current, but your present state changes day to day and asking YOU what’s happening today is usually best practice and the most accurate. There’s no day prep time to a clinic day and no one takes “homework” home after work. It’s hit the ground running and just start diving into appointments. When the doc knows the patient already ofc this goes more smoothly because the doc knows the bigger picture. That’s why there’s an assigned doc for each patient.
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All the NPs being trained makes the process more difficult. Heavy revolving door there as they do their version of residency and then poof they’re gone to find their actual job.
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Wait until you’re admitted to a hospital from an emergency room, you’ll be in for a real treat. /s.
I quit my job yesterday cause it fucking sucked.
I'm sad because no money but that place was a hellhole and it was making me miserable.
I need this encouragement bro
The doctor’s appointment is not a great example for the US because the system is so fucked. If the doctor is terrible, sit it out, and then request to never see them again. You don’t even have to say why (if/when the scheduler pressures you, just blame the free market: “my care will be better managed by someone else”). Because if you don’t like your healthcare in the US, you certainly can leave, but you will be stuck with the bill, and if it’s considered leaving “against medical advice,” you will be denied insurance coverage if you return for the same issue.
But also, make sure you have good reason to not like the doctor, regardless of financial implications. A doctor giving you bad news or making an honest but unflattering comment is an easy situation to want to leave, but bailing on that situation is not a good solution.
I'm not trying to say one should never take a stand, just that they should make sure of their reasoning before doing so.
Yeah, walking out would be more reserved for "why are you wearing that mask, don't you know the pandemic is over?" or "don't get (that vasectomy/your tubes tied, I know that you'll change your mind later".
Just basic science denial shit, or shoving somebody else's culture down your throat while trying to pretend it's compassion. Stuff that no competent doctor would do in the first place.
Oh of course, 100%. I wouldn’t suggest changing from providers for reasons other than really botched/mismanaged/negligent care. I don’t think everyone wants to give a reason to a scheduler for the switch because honestly they don’t need to know, and I would assume the patient is having conversations way above a scheduler’s level about any issues with a provider.
I've been told at one office that they didn't allow patients to switch doctors within the same practice. Currently, I live in a very small town, and am on Medicaid. I've been trying to switch to the only other practice in town (my current doctor has made 5+ screw-ups with medication, and has declined to write down my information and make requested referrals), but they're dragging their heels. So I'm not holding my breath that it will be any better. Anyway, I guess my point, apart from the rant, is that the system is even more fucked than you say.
Hey, I’ve heard that one before, and big surprise, it was told to another Medicaid patient. It’s a lie that means “we don’t want our practice potentially making less money.” The provider probably doesn’t even know you were told that. I wish the gnarliest of 8th-dimensional waking nightmares on every admin who enables that bullshit.
Some areas are lucky enough to have Kaiser. It's just a quick click and you have a new doctor of your choice. Though the rest of Kaiser is falling to shit
Because if you don’t like your healthcare in the US, you certainly can leave, but you will be stuck with the bill, and if it’s considered leaving “against medical advice,” you will be denied insurance coverage if you return for the same issue.
Insurance is just a pain in general in the U.S. For instance some people might struggle to find a new doctor in their area if they're dealing with a specialist and have specific insurance coverages which means cutting off their toxic doctor might be more difficult.
Burning bridges to escape toxicity is fine, just don't strand yourself.
While true and valid, also remember that your community can be a problem, or you might be suffering from systemic issues. Not all issues stem from individuals, and some are impossible to solve on the personal level. If you find yourself in the cult, for example, walking away is probably the best you could do, despite the scorn of the community.
That is true and equally worth pointing out too. I sometimes find it hard to distinguish between a heartfelt life lesson versus a platitude dressed in its Sunday best.
If you're seeing your 5th counselor and 7th psych because you don't want to make lifestyle changes and simultaneously want every stimulant to keep you up and downer so you can sleep... well... You're not fun to be their doctor for.
burn a bridge at a company w/ a terrible boss - boss leaves and is replaced by a much better manager, but you have no shot because HR is still pissed at you
burn a bridge w/ a date - you end up working with that date and they remember how rude you were and end up making things suck for you
burn a bridge w/ a doctor - doctors tend to be friends w/ other doctors, so other doctors may choose to not bring you on
That doesn't mean you should let people walk all over you, it just means a little professionalism goes a long way. If you can't stand your boss, give them a reasonable notice that you're leaving. If your date is late, send them a text saying something came up and can no longer wait for them. If your doctor sucks, thank them for their time and ask for a referral for a second opinion, or if they take too long to see you, tell the front staff to cancel your appointment on your way out.
You don't have to put up with nonsense, but you should handle it as gracefully as you can, because it doesn't cost you much and you never know if it'll end up mattering.
Learning to deal with unpleasant people and situations is part of growing up. It's often better to grin and bear it, learn something for future you, then never go back.
OTHO, it's a valuable message. You don't always have to put up with the bullshit and should just bail.
So which is it? Well, figuring that out is an aspect of growing older and wiser.
A couple years ago I rage quit a gaming session (during a break) with “Whelp, I’m gonna go do something I enjoy.”
My teammates understood. They were all very good at the game and I was not. I kept getting absolutely trounced, and was bringing them down with me.
It’s now sort of an in-joke/phrase we use unironically when the vibe is off but we still like our friends.
this should be made more clear to all patients of all ages, throughout life. they can't force you to do anything, or do anything to you that you don't want them to do
Nope. In medical, you educate and advise, the patient decides. Then it’s documented and you move on to the next patient.
In diabetes this is often seen as a foot that is now getting amputated after years of noncompliance with medical advice, but again, all you can do is educate. People decide their own actions for themselves.
Only ever left a doctor's appointment mid-appointment once. The doctor said he doesn't believe some of my medical conditions don't exist and I wasn't dealing with that shit
Idk, running from unpleasant truths isn't great either, so be careful that you're not just shopping for a convenient diagnosis and instead looking for the truth. A second or third opinion is absolutely a good idea if you think your doctor is missing something (esp. if they refuse to run a test you think is necessary). Just remember that this goes both ways, so that doctor that tells you what you want to hear could be missing what the others have seen.
In other words, don't mistake hubris for confidence.
I wish I’d been able to do that. But she was still writing the script for my stimulants (continuation of care) so I just let her rant about adhd not being real because if I left I would’ve lost my job
This is a weird post. You might get charged anyhow and there might be other negative consequences of just walking out. I mean yeah I agree with the sentiment that you shouldn't have to put up with bullshit from doctors but in America at least you have to be a little more careful about it than just ghosting anytime you like. They have us by the balls and you don't change that by just ignoring the fact.
I just realized this recently. When you turn 18, nobody tells you that nothing is physically stopping you from walking out of whatever situation you happen to be in.
Personally, I just walked out of a Dr appointment because she wasn't talking me seriously. Looking her up on healthgrades.com (no connection to me, my insurance suggested using it when I was unhappy) found her reviews ateast the negative ones to be spot on...