This is absurd

[WilliamJE]

I called the doctor's office about those pains I'm having. That was 11:45 this morning. Its 4:15 now and I am still waiting for a call. My wife called the office, the nurse for my cardiologist is gone for the day. No return call for 4.5 hours, I probably need a new doctor.

Bill

 

[Nancy]

First take care of yourself and go to the ER and find out what the pains are.

Then take care of your doctor.

You and your health come first always (your doctor doesn't realize that).

 

[Cooker]

Plain and simple....I would fire his/her ass ... but not before I let them know what I thought of them.....as Nancy said, if you are still having pain go to the ER.

 

[Freddie]

One of 3 things you can do; 1) phone again, 2) wait until office hours are done (which is what my doc does) or 3) get yourself down to the ER.

 

[hall]

I agree, go to the ER. I would be furious w/my cardio. I hope you get to see a doctor soon.

 

[zipper2]

Pure frustration when you are sick,hope you went to er

then get in touch with this Doc of yours.

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[Karlynn]

Go to the ER, and when you get the chance, call your doctor and tell them you're coming in to pick up your records - that the ER will serve as a better doctor than he, until you find a new one.

 

[BackDoc]

ok, I am not going to make any friends with my reply. But as a practicing doctor, who spends my day examining and treating patients, I can tell you that I cannot run to the phone every time a patient calls with a question about an ache or a pain. If you have pain, then you call to make an appointment and ask to be seen as soon as possible. In all probability if you are a patient of that office they will see you that day, if not tell you to come right on over. If you feel the pain is that serious then you have to use your head and present to the ER.

Doctor's are busy treating patients in the office. Calls are returned during non-patient treating times or after hours. There is no way that any doctor can make a diagnosis over the telephone and no doctor will try. That is negligence.

Please take some responsibility for your own health. Present to the ER if you feel that bad, or call to make the appointment, but please don't expect the doctor to come to a standstill, drop everything, and rush to the telephone to hear someone say "it hurts". What would you have wanted to hear the doctor to say....hold while I connect you to the front desk so you can make an appointment to be seen today, or hang up and dial 911.

Also--if your pains were that bad why didn't you present to the ER, or ask for an appointment? why did you sit around all day waiting for a call back?

 

[Karlynn]

You may not be able to run to the phone, but I would hope you have a staff that can triage the call and
A. know if you are too busy to take his call or questions B. ask to make an appointment for him to come in, or C. tell him that there isn't time for a call back today, and tell him if the situation was of concern to go to the ER. But just taking a message and hanging up without giving the patient a clue of what to expect as a response to the call is not a practice I would want to rely on for care.

Both my PCP and my cardio have nurses that "triage" calls, and at least let me know where I stand by the time I hang up the phone and this allows me to make further decisions regarding my issues rather than sitting around waiting for a call that's never going to come. If a doctor isn't able to return a call until after hours - then the office staff should be told to let the people who call and want a call back - to know that.

 

[BackDoc]

we have no idea what transpired during that call. Patients call my office everyday with concerns and we tell them to come in. A small number always respond that they can't for whatever reason. In that case what else is there to say to them? In my office I am responsible for all patient care decisions. Forget the triage nurse, if such a person gives incorrect information it's the doctor who is responsible.

The point that I am trying to make is that each of us has to take responsibility for ourselves. If a pain is that troubling then go seek help in person. I just don't understand waiting around all day for a call back.

I told you I wouldn't make any friends with my reply. But I have been on both sides; as a valve replacement patient and as a doctor.

 

[Blanche]

No matter how you look at it...

No matter how you look at it...

BackDoc:

The bottom line is simply, God helps those who help themselves.

People need to know and have information on what steps they can take to safeguard themselves. Docs do go on vacation, get ill, have other pressing appointments, and play golf....or roller skate?

It all goes back to the model of the patient as consumer.

Blanche

 

[Superbob]

For whatever it's worth, I have found that it usually takes time (meaning days) to see my cardio, but my GP and his nurses quickly respond (within a few hours) if I call about being ill or hurting. So I get in touch with them first.

 

[roundsgirl]

Where is the compassion??????? To most doctors you are just a number, how many of you feel that your doctor(s) really care? Maybe he didn't run down to the ER because half of those doctors are residents, who really don't know what's going on half the time anyway. Maybe, he just needed a little reassurance that the pain he is feeling is normal or to be expected, is that to much to ask from his Cardio. after all we are talking about his heart. Having had the surgery yourself I would think you would understand. Like I said where is the compassion? I am personally sick of doctors, half of them look at you like you are crazy, or in my case I had one tell me I wasn't in pain... this was not true, they found I had esophogeal ulcers, gastric erosions, hital hernial and GERD, and my chest was killing me, but to his arrogant ass, I wasn't in pain. My personal feeling is that it has become all about the money and no compassion. I thought they take a oath to help patients, but.... I've found that is all to rare now a days. To add insult to injury, my tissue valve is failing and they say you need this surgery, or you know it's going to have to be replaced but they won't even attempt to give me a timeline anymore, it's only been one year in Jan. You may not be one of these doctors I am speaking of, but it sure sounded like it.
Everyone here is right in that you have to look out for yourself, don't wait around thinking they will lose sleep if they don't address your questions or needs, they just go on to the next number. Best of luck to you. Sorry if I sound bitter but at this point I am and for good reason. To a doctor I'm nobody but to my family I am everything, that's what keeps me going when I want to give up.

 

[kfay]

I understand that a Dr. can't drop everything he is doing and run to the phone everytime a patient calls. However, they should all have a 15 min. window around lunch time and then again before they leave for the day that they can at least run through these calls with their nurse and either call them back themselves or have someone else in their office call them back. It is just plain and simple courtesy.
As a patient, my Dr.'s nurses always tell me that my cardio will call me back. Sometimes it takes days. I'm sorry, but I think that is ridiculous. If I call my Dr. or the surgeon from the Mayo clinic, I have ALWAYS gotten a response the same day, usually within a couple of hours. I'm presently waiting on my Dr. to call me back about my holter last week. I have called 3 times now. The nurse said, "he told me he hasn't forgotten about you, he just hasn't called the EP Dr. yet to talk about you." I picked up the phone yesterday and called the EP guy myself...he called me back and I'm going to go see him next week.

If I have a squeaky wheel in my system, I'll just go right around it. I don't care if my cardio likes it or not. I'm not going to just sit at home feeling miserable until he "finds" the time to help me.

Let me also say, my best friend and her husband are both Dr's and we have had this exact same conversation many, many times.


Kim

 

[BackDoc]

I'm not here to argue with anyone. I have been through the same surgery as most others here have. I also see both sides.

However, if I were you, and with all those problems you experienced I have have found a new doctor a long time ago. Why didn't you seek 2nd and 3rd opinions instead of being so frustrated that you were being ignored?

Now I'll give you a real world example from the other side. I was back seeing patients in my office 4 weeks following my surgery. I was allowed to work 4 hours a day at first. To insure that I would be available to as many of my patients as possible I alternated 4 hours in the AM one day with 4 hours in the PM the next day.
I had finished my allowed 4 hours in the afternoon (seeing patients from 2-6 pm) and was completing paperwork before going home. A patient called and said he was "hurting" could he come right over. My staff gave me the phone--yes, he had hurt his back---3 months ago but had to play "golf" the next morning. I knew he lived just a few blocks from my office--so I told him to come right on over. He said he couldn't come right that instant--he was ready to sit down for dinner. Could I see him an hour--what????? told him sorry, I would reconnect him with my staff and he could be the first patient the next morning. Not good enough for him, if I couldn't see him that evening he would find a new doctor.
I wasn't about to explain about my situation, or recent surgery. Oath or no oath, I told him he was free to find any doctor of his choosing.

Each of us must assume the ultimate responsibility for ourselves. If you are not happy with a doctor, find another.

I realize this forum gives many a chance to vent who otherwise would have no other outlet.

I have tried to offer advice and help in any areas that I felt competent.

This is a topic that appears to strike a raw nerve. Sorry if I offended you or anyone else.

I'll withdraw from this particular thread.

 

[Ross]

I fortunately have doctors that will call me back. Of course, mine know if I'm calling, it's serious because I hate going to them and I hate the hospital even more. They know full well that I've let something go far too long and have managed to place myself in trouble. My PCP has set down some ground rules concerning my calls. Basically if I'm not dying and can be seen in the office, call the office for a same day appointment. If my life is in jeopardy, waste no time and go to the ER. My Cardio works in the same manor, but of course, these two guys have been with me in my darkest hours since 1991 too.

My PCP no longer makes rounds at the hospital. He has another sub for him. The man is an associate professor at North East Ohio College of Medicine as well as an office hours physician. His days are full. 10 to 6 at the office, then an hour drive to the College to teach classes, then another hour drive back home. I know he sleeps somewhere in between, but God only knows when.

 

[JeffM]

This issue is a real concern and it's frustrating for Drs as well as patients. It's a systemic problem. Big picture: Drs are under increased pressure to handle as many patients as they can fit in...and then more...each day. Their time to repond personaly to calls from patients is very limited. That said, a good professional practice arranges for some kind of response/communication with patients to advise them on whether they should come to the office today and perhaps see a different Doc or PA or nurse or go to the ER. Ultimately, it's the patient's call but communication should be part of the picture. Bottom line though: be your own advocate. Get what information you can, and, if in doubt check it out (go to the ER).

 

[Nancy]

After caring for Joe who had massive medical problems related to his heart and other things, I adopted the philosophy that he came first, period! If he was hurting or had something strange going on, I might have called the doctor if I thought it could wait a little while. I must say that usually the doctor would get back to me. It might not have been right away, but they did when they had a free moment. Then they would either tell us to come in to the office or go to the ER. And not only that, many of them (Joe had many doctors) would call ahead to the ER to get him seen fast.

I can't remember any of Joe's doctors simply ignoring a phone call, maybe because those were removed from his care.

Diagnosing something over the phone just can't be done, but it can be triaged somewhat. And some direction can be given.

If I thought there was something life threatening going on, or if I didn't know how to handle something, I took him to the ER.

The bottom line is if you have a problem, do whatever it takes to find out what it is. If your doctor is non-responsive, first take care of yourself, then at a later time deal with the doctor.

Yes, doctors are very busy, but they are not the only ones who are very busy. Most of us have very full plates.

Oh, and BTW, if Joe were in the hospital, many of Joe's doctors would call me first thing in the morning when they rounded and give me the report. That was very nice of them. But if they didn't do that, I would appear anyway at the hospital at 6 AM, if I had to, to make sure I got to talk to them.

Be proactive with your care.

 

[Karlynn]

That said, a good professional practice arranges for some kind of response/communication with patients to advise them on whether they should come to the office today and perhaps see a different Doc or PA or nurse or go to the ER. Ultimately, it's the patient's call but communication should be part of the picture.

This is what I meant by "triage" the call. I wasn't implying that a nurse should diagnose. For me, this is a sign that the doctor understands that everyone's time is important, not just his/hers.

BackDoc's patient he described got to speak to the doctor, which is the point of this thread. It was then the patient's decision to not take the appointment offered. But the patient got to speak to the doctor, he wasn't waiting around with no response.

 

[WilliamJE]

I haven't gone to the ER. The pains come and go, but I had one last night that woke me up. This is not tingling from the incision, I know tingling because I got carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand due to my surgery. These are little electric shocks, and are they connected to the mechanical valve I have in me?

Yes I waited around yesterday, but after spending 22 out of 31 days in August hospitalized, I prefer to only to an ER as a last resort.

The doctor's office never called. I wrote them up on my blog and sent them the link. Guess what? They visited this morning, but they can't return a phone call. Tells you just what a bunch of Knuckleheads these people are. Obviously worry over damage to their reputation takes precedent over the health of one of their patients.

I'm going to have the wife call in and get copies of my records. However it looks like I'm without a cardiologist for the rest of 2008. The two in my area that I called, can't see me before January.

Other collateral damage- The cardiac rehab I was taking part in is shelved. I called them tomorrow to tell them I wasn't coming in. They asked why, I told them what was going on. I was told I note a note from the doctor before coming back. Without a cardiologist now, I obviously can't get a note.