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Preparing for a follow-up exam …

Neuropathy | Last Active: Aug 14, 2023 | Replies (39)

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@dbeshears1

Kim - I couldn’t agree with you more, except… the medical “business” has taken a very bad turn. It seems as patients get smarter or more informed and want answers, medical corporations want more profit which means spending less time with patients. They also must work within what they believe are payment constraints from insurance companies. Thankfully technology has improved so we can check our own results real-time and help them avoid necessary callbacks. I’m not kidding you that just yesterday a doctor called me about a scan from 64 days ago to say he saw a lump, and asked ME if I had a copy of my previous scan from 6 months ago that he could compare it to!! (I just moved to this new state, but still, 64 days?? And he access now to all priors?But I knew when I saw my results 63 days ago that the lump was calcified and unchanged in size, so I wasn’t concerned). My point is many doctors are just frantically trying to keep up and are going insane. I think their latest rounds of corporate training have been focused on time management and that part of this includes standing during appointments and holding the door open while you’re wanting to ask your questions; and you almost feel sorry for THEM because they were 45 minutes late to your appointment and you know other patients are in line behind you and SOMEHOW these doctors have to catch up and make everyone else sacrifice their time so he can somehow do it and get home at a decent time to have dinner with his family, help kids with homework, then catch up on paperwork. I’ve read where they’re trying to get insurance companies to pay them for “visits” because of the increase of patient portal questions, which they all believed at first would help with the office workload. It just seems the more we patients have thought we were gaining, it’s been a disadvantage to the doctors and they’re running from us. There needs to be a win-win in handling patients’ needs and helping make sure doctors have the fair time they need to do their job. If we all need to be 15 minute patients, give us our 15 minutes, as we’ve waited 6 months for this appointment. But when our time is up, give us our 1 minute warning and tell us to book a follow up on our way out. I wish I had a solution- I hope collectively the medical business can find one because I think most doctors are as frustrated as a lot of patients and we’re all losing ground. I’ve been blessed with great medical practices along the way, but it is very difficult when you’re trying to work within a broken one. It’s weird when I feel so elated after only spending 4 minutes with a doctor, being so happy I could give them time I don’t need, but then need my 15 minutes next time but can only get 10.

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Replies to "Kim - I couldn’t agree with you more, except… the medical “business” has taken a very..."

Kim (@kimegraves), Debbie (@dbeshears1)

That was a lesson I learned a long time ago, watching how my parents, aunts, and uncles related to their doctors. In short, they didn't relate, at least not in any active way. They played a passive role, never feeling presumptuous enough to ask questions or challenge their doctors' advice. Folks in my family received their doctors' wisdom and went on their way.

Now, I'm not faulting their doctors. I'm sure their doctors did their best in those less corporatized days.

But how many red-flag symptoms went unmentioned by my parents, aunts, and uncles? I'll never know. What I do know is that when any of my parents' generation ended up hospitalized, it always seemed to come as a great shock ("Who knew Aunt Betty was so ill?"), and the prognosis we'd be informed was always bleak ("If you'd like to see Aunt Betty, I'd suggest you not delay"). If only my parents, aunts, and uncles had partnered more with their doctors, things might have been different.

So I ask questions.

I hope you're having a fine weekend!
Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)