Patient Survey #1
I need some input folks on an issue that concerns me.
I want to know from patients – not my own –how much listening is really going on in the examination rooms.
Here’s where I smell a rat:I have only 45 minutes to I see a new person. I need to get his or her present problems and symptoms, and get their psychiatric, medical, social, family, substance abuse, and prescription histories- and get some review of systems/mental status examination questions. AND
Make a diagnosis, give options, set up a plan – and explain it all.
I repeatedly feel this Burger King pace only gets me a tip of the iceberg in most people’s lives. I feel frustrated and incomplete in most evaluations. This is in direct contrast to many people giving me positive feedback, very pleased that I
-spent more time than they have ever had with a doctor
-got more history from them than anyone before me “Gee, my last doctor didn’t ask about x, y or z"
-gave them a clear diagnosis and explanation of the initial plan.
I’ve heard this enough to wonder and worry – Question; do most doctors
-really see new people only for 15 minutes
-make sweeping conclusions without establishing a baseline history
-don’t tell you what you have?
What has been your experience with a new doctor? Were they thorough, spent some time, and explained things?
Please tell!
posted by Ur-spo at 6:37 AM
10 Comments:
Are you talking about psychiatrists or just doctors in general. I have never been to a psychiatrist (maybe I should as I have been told "I think too much" and "Have a short fuse about the little things"), but I can tell you that when I went to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale in January to find out I had MS, the doctor spent a good hour to hour and a half examining me, giving me info on MS, and taking his time to answer ALL of my questions. I felt good about that visit. My PCP, however, only spends about 10 minutes, if that, examining me and talking to me. I spend a good half hour in the waiting room prior to that. Needless to say, I'm looking for another, gay-friendly, PCP.
Ur-spo, you push one of my magic buttons! I am happy to hear of your effort toward quality patient care and communication. I am adding it to the already growing list of your endearing qualities.
My doc (granted I'm not a new patient) spends about 15 min. with me. He's been my doc for nearly 15 years. He has my charts in front of him. I see him about every 4-6 months. STILL, he seems oblivious to why I am there, what he is/has been treating me for, etc. I feel like I go there just to sit in front of him to diagnose and treat myself. If I have a new ailment, he will pronouce diagnosis and treatment before I finish telling him the symptoms or he examines me!
I am a very lucky man - my PCP who I have been seeing for almost 20 years schedules one patient every 30 minutes in his practice - he never rushes me, he always has time for me - we discuss my physical and emotional issues, my meds and the like - new meds he gives me are always in the form of samples to see if they work before I fill the Rx...
If I am REAL sick and I call - he will call in a Rx rather than make me come in...
I am a very lucky man - I have been to the 5 patients scheduled every 15 minutes... wait 2 hours plus and be seen for 5 minutes... I WILL NOT tolerate that from any care provider who's services I am paying for...
I've never spent more than 15 minutes with my doctor with the exception of a minor surgical prodecure. He never refers to any past ailments even if they may be related. I even have to keep track of when to have blood work done.
Once I went in for muscle spasms in my neck, he prescribed Vicodin. I asked for Flexeril, he added that to the prescription. A week later I injured my shoulder, he prescribed Vicodin. I told him I still had some from the previous week but he thought I should fill the prescription anyway. He thought I may need them. I went in for a follow up a week later and mentioned that I quit taking the Vicodin because it gives me nightmares. He prescribed Percocet. I swear he'd give me morphine if I asked.
I've recently begun searching for a new physician.
I'm usually a bad patient--things hurt, I want things done now.
Most of the physicians I have been with have been friends of the family or acquantances, so I'm going to say it's been a good experience.
Our family doc was a pill doctor, he's one of the reasons my mom isn't here anymore. At 18 he just asked "So are you gay or what?"
I never went to see him again.
I went to my bf doc, she saw me half hour late. I knew she was good, so I told myslef, I have 3 things to ask her, so say them, get in, get out.
Since it was the first time that she was seeing me, she took an hour filling up my history file. She listened, she was there and she sorta became a friend.
She retired, I was crushed.
My new doc only took 15 minutes to see me the first time, but I know he knows what he's doing. He always remembers me and even remembers the meds he gave me.
My shrink is great. Everytime I come out of there, the kid in me knows that he was heard by an adult! He listens and never tells me what to do, he makes me say it. Damn he's good.
I tried a new one for my anxiety problems, he laughed in my face. I told my shrink, I'll work on my own and with him instead.
Can you believe he laughed in my face?
thanks fellows for the insights and feedback.
I have had the worst luck with general practice doctors. I had one in NYC that was great as long as I scheduled my appointments well in advance. But I went in a couple of times without appointments and you would have thought I had pissed in his Wheaties. He was short and curt and barely spoke to me. The last time this happened it was because of an HIV scare and he threw the prescription at me and never discussed the options, the side effects, or really whether I needed to take the drugs or not. Needless to say I never went back.
And don't forget my latest with the ping-pong lady!?
I've had several radically different experiences with therapists/psychiatrists in L.A.
The first woman, a social worker with the city who was studying to become a psychiatrist, flat out told me that she couldn't help me unless I was on medication, this frightened me away as I felt she was far too pushy and was putting words in my mouth.
The therapist with my insurance company spent her 50 minutes with me before I saw the psychiatrist. The big difference hear was I felt I was putting words in her mouth, i.e. telling her what I had (anxiety disorder and depression) and she simply agreed with me. *sigh*
My psychiatrist saw me, read my therapists notes, told me he was starting me on Prozac and what the few side effects were, then sent me on my way... it took 10 minutes.
You sound like a gem of a doctor! It's good to hear there are people out there who actually think about helping people instead of getting them in and out as fast as possible.
Want to be my doctor? *sigh*
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