At what point do you not go back to a Doctor? I admit I have a growing distain of the CDC and the blind alegiance medical people have, if you even question a dictate they make you out to be a idiotic know nothing that must be badgered into compliance. A couple things I felt were not well handled on my last physical/visit and on top of my general distrust of "Big Pharm/Gov't Incest", I just think its time to move on or just quit and take my chances. ??? How about you?
If you question the quality if your care, there is no question as to whether or not you should move on... go to someone who will listen to your concerns and not just work to bill your insurance for as many medical procedure codes as possible.... good luck!!
I went to drug store just days after my visit and low and behold one of my prescriptions is not renewed even after asking for it and zero conversation about it being discontinued. I call and ask and the response is to make another appointment. So a 1/2 day off work, 90 miles, and I was just there not a week ago, and you want me back!? It is an as needed prescription that I use a couple times a year and he parroted we don't like to see long term use. If one dose in evenings 2 or 3 days 3 x a year is too much that even though by the orders can be taken up to 3x day for 3 weeks, come on! When I look up its health concerns, it is about equivalent to prescription ibuprofen side effect and their definition of long term in the paperwork of the drug is 3 weeks of continual use or more. Maybe I am too old and kranky, but don't condesend me, don't think I won't look into it myself, don't treat me like mommy keeping me out of cookies because I don't know better, and don't waste my time. I just feel if he would do this to me for this, when something serious would come along what would he be like to deal with?
I don't have insurance yet so the Doc I see knows he can't milk the insurance companies. I always look up side effects on stuff he prescribes and I call him out on it. Refused to take 1 or two he's prescribed me and told him why. He might not like it much but it appears he respects it. Also went to refill a script that I stopped taking due to the sun and started again when winter set back in, Pharmacy wouldn't fill it even though I had plenty of refills left. Claimed some 6 mth BS, but they called the doctor and he got them to refill it even though he's the type that will not do prescriptions over the phone, you have to make an appointment. So either tell the doctor the way it is, he's either going to listen or ask for your medical transcripts on the way out the door. I did the same with mine and after requesting my transcripts he started paying more attention. There may be laws regarding your transcripts, in Ohio they have to release them all to you, you have to submit the request in writing.
Agreed with all the above. When I was young I had a doctor that spoke fast and left fast, I ended up writing down my questions and insisting she stayed there while I wrote down the answers she rattled off quickly. She did not appreciate it but no retaliation. Then I got older and was fortunate to experience better doctors. Later after I got sick I learned to #1 sign a "Release" for my records, and #2, get a paper RX instead of the electronic ones as sometimes they take days to send them, or days for transmitting , or forget to do completely, or send to the wrong pharmacy, or......). Once I began being referred to a specialist ontop of reg doc, then another, and another I learned it was so much easier to carry my records with me though mostly emailing them with my initial new patient paperwork instead of chasing doctors offices around (24-48 response time with voicemail only options was ridiculous). In 2009-10ish I actually drove the 3 hour round trip to National Jewish in Denver to get a flipping copy of my MRI after 2 weeks of phone calls between them and my cardiologist & obgyn could not dial eachother's numbers correctly. Yes, they charged me a $1 per page ontop of my gas and drive time to get those. It was worth it though, kiddo is the proof!! Either way Greenstick if this doctor is not meeting your needs in one way or any other, change if you can. If you can change docs I'd do it in a heartbeat. Screw waiting for them to send records to your new doc, go down there and sign a release form titled to yourself. This is HIPPA, law that you can have copies of your records....... All medical places have those forms and have them on hand. Good Luck
If a Doctor or any paid professional won’t listen to you FIRE them it’s your body and you only have 1
When I was in my 30's, I went to the Dr. for ear drum rupture (suspected). It was self-inflicted and luckily I did not damage anything. The "Dr." (was a PA) started to admonish me with a heavy patronizing tone about my actions. I returned a look of disbelief, smiled and chuckled a bit. This really lit him up. He asked what the heck is so funny, you could have seriously damaged your ear drum,blah blah blah, do you understand? I told him he is not talking to an 8 year old and he better not forget it and that'll be enough of your tirade on me and I don't come here for you to treat me like this and that'll be enough from you...do you understand?
I have what i consider a "blue collar" doctor. This guy is cool. No aura to him at all. He will curse in front of me, types with two fingers, talks real world to me etc. Tells me like it is with no nonsense. Listens to me and if he didnt have his white lab coat you wouldnt think he was a doctor. If you are not happy, let him know. Its your right. Plenty of other doctors out there.
Indeed. Find a doctor you can trust and like. For sure, one who will listen to you and your concerns and then talk about it. We are lucky here with a great doctor but our fear is that he is about to retire. He did retire once but came back. We're hoping he'll stay around. Otherwise who knows how long and how many visits it will take to find a good doctor.
I'm just frustrated because I had a good doctor where we used to live but it is just too impractical to continue that far away. I have since been for about 10 years on the search. This is the second one and have had him a couple years but just have felt no rapport with either. I typically am not overly picky about a lot in life but between the hell we have been through with my wife's health and watching how big pharma/insurance basically dictates care you can have instead of doctors and patients working together to fix it, I just have lost faith in doctors and them being more afraid of the CDC and losing their license than treating us. Just sucks to be required to buy expensive stuff that isn't interested in me as much as they are kissing gov't butts.
All of the above BUT--you have to be your own advocate. That means learning the best you can all about your medical problem, listing questions, demanding (yes "demanding ) full accountability. It is why many of us DO NOT go to any VA medical centers, especially now that I'm on Medicare. Ask, get a partner to write everything down in the meeting. And walk if your MD or PA is not up to your needs, arrogant, or non responsive. For a first time visit, ASK and investigate the practitioner. It is an interview. Ask for references...I do. I don't want rapport, just quality and experience. As an example for surgeons: "what's your mortality rate, " how many of these have you done"....etc.... And no whining if you don't get what you want. Old injuries coming home to roost: 2 hips, 1 shoulder, spine neurosurgery, precancerous facial slices ( my ear looks like the cut on female egg bearing lobsters), and so on. Boring.
I vividly recall talking with my husband after he took me to an appt when I was pretty unwell. I recalled discussing a stapler and some other absolutely useless things, thank god he was there hear the important information I was just too sick to process. I have one doctor now that ROCKS, his office is fine tuned machine, and he will write things down on a paper for me for me to take home. Otherwise, by myself with other docs, I make a list and literally lay the paper on the counter with sink and will not let them hurry out of the room until my questions are answered and I have written down the results. !!!!!!!!!!!! How is the health care up there Greenstick ? Do you have a large choice of doctors or is it severally limited like where I am?
If you see anything that you don't like, or think it's unethical, then leave. Just go to another doctor. We had to boot our old doctor because he was a pill pusher. After we dropped him, we found out he was the top doctor in the county for getting kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. We thought it seemed odd, and that confirmed it.
As for selection we have a"hospital" that is more a clinic that is only one doctor that has a couple PA's under him and we would rather see a veterinarian than the doc because of past experience. Other than that its 45 miles 1 way to a descent size hospital. My mind is made I'm getting a different doc, still at the same 45 mile from there hospital. Talked with a couple guys at work on who they like there. A lot of people won't go here in town for my same reason.
You are the employer, the doc is the employee. You've hired him to do a job. If you unsatisfied, fire him and hire another. Medicine is one of the few professions that demand payment for a botched job. If you hire a roofer to fix a leak and he makes it worse, you don't pay him. He owes you for the damages. Docs demand payment even when their attempt to fix you makes you worse. It's BS. They "practice" medicine. You're expected to pay for their practicing. Modern medicine can be miraculous....or not. It often costs your life savings to die these days, but that's by choice. I'll stop now.....
"Big Pharm/Gov't Incest" - That is absolutely brilliant. I will be borrowing that. I find 99.9999% of the medical industry/pharma doctors to be blatantly incompetent. I don't use that kind of medical care for anything anymore. Herbs, nutrients & good, natural food for medicine, Acupuncture/TCM to treat problems of all kinds & the one and only Chiropractor out of the 15 I've tried over the past 35 years that is 100% effective and actually gives a dam about me more than the insurance money. I'm in better shape than most people that are 10 & 20 years younger than me and I started off in a really, really bad place.
