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DOOL Discussion Group
My family has been seeing a local family doctor for years. About 10 years ago, she was great. Responsive, took her time, etc. The staff was always a bit slow, as she hired a few challenged employees (admirable), but it was worth it to see her.
For the past 5 years, she's been so unbelievably unreliable. If you call, she doesn't call back for days. Only if you follow the directions very clearly made on the voicemail prompts can you get a perscription refill, or appointment. And even then, you have to double check.
My mother is now ill with shingles and a bad knee. This doctor's office refused to fax her a perscription for a wheelchair to the rental facility until "the doctor saw it". Meaning it will sit on her desk for days.
We rant and rant about the poor service, and when we finally get to see her or get a phone call, we are just so happy to be seen and heard that we let it go.
My mother was perscribed tylinol with codine. She was hallucinating. I called the office, a front desk person called me back and told me the doctor said to stop taking it immediately and take regular Tylinol. I asked if they could perscribe a different medication -- vicodan or percoset and they said no. Her knee was so hurt so badly that she could not walk from the couch to the bathroom. We ended up taking her to the ER. On the way to the ER, the doctor calls me and asks me why we are taking her there. I wanted to say "Are you Fing Kidding me?", but I stayed calm, and explained that she could not walk, and was peeing in bucket because the doctor didn't sign off on the scripts for a wheelchair and porta potty.
She was actually angry that she was going to the hospital. The hospital admitted her and gave her all of her tests and didn't want to send her home until they knew that she had everything she needed.
Is this normal for a family doctor? I'm never going back. I'm furious and want to report her to somebody. This isn't the first time we've been ignored. My daughter has a thyroid condition. This doctor had to do three tests, 8 weeks apart, before she was convinced that my daughter wasn't blowing smoke up her butt trying to get medicine to make her lose weight. When all three tests came back hypo, then she finally perscribed medicine. I went to the doctor with my daughter on the third visit, because she was so frustrated. I told her that my kid was on topomax for migraines, but had to stop taking it because she lost too much weight and she was too dopey. Her entire attitude changed.
We are not a family that frequents the doctor, so we get through these episodes and pray we don't get need her again.
I'm just wondering if there are any good doctors out there that aren't overwhelmed/overworked with HMO patients and just don't care anymore.
Thoughts?
I'm changing docs. Calling today to request our charts are copied for me to bring to a new doc. Thanks for all the responses. I was afraid I'd here that it's the same everywhere, but it's obvious to me now that I can receive better care.
Thank you!!!!
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Nope, that's nor normal and not acceptable. As others said below, you need to find a new doctor. If you have a specialist you've worked with and trusted, you might ask that doctor for a referral to a primary care physician.
Living in Cleveland, I've been very spoiled. We have some of the finest medical care in the world with the Cleveland Clinic. Finding a primary doctor you like and who you trust to give you a high level of care is so important, especially as you get older. I hope you can find a doctor that's right for you and your family.
Several months after that, I made an appointment to get some asthma medication...I made sure I made the appointment a couple of weeks ahead of time. I sat in the waiting room for 90 minutes. The waiting room was packed. I finally went up to the receptionist and asked how long it would be for me to see the doctor. The receptionist told me no time soon...because of insurance issues, he had to overbook. It was absolutely unacceptable, said I. She said something about the value of seeing the doctor...I told her my time was valuable, too. And then I told her that she should give someone else in the room my appointment. I walked out and never went back.
The internist I now go to asked me why I switched, if I didn't mind telling her. I told her exactly what I typed above. He was a great doctor, but my time is valuable, too. Plus, when I'm sick, I want care. I don't see how waiting for an appointment for 2 weeks is going to help a sinus infection.
My advice...find another doctor. You'll be glad you did. What you're describing is, in fact, unacceptable, especially for your mom.
When we moved here, the first pcp I had was wonderful but the staff was so bad that I felt it was critical I change doctors. I was taking the depo birth control shot at the time. The point where I said 'enough' was when they scheduled my appointment for two weeks late (left me unprotected for two weeks). They just always gave me a range to make my next appointment and I never double checked, turns out they counted wrong. After waiting over an hour to see a nurse practitioner to administer the shot, they lead me to a bathroom and told me to pee in a cup so they could administer a pregnancy test--with no explanation of why. When I basically asked wth was going on, then they explained that I made the appointment for too long of an interval. Of course I said that I made it within the time frame I was told to make it, they denied any responsibility...they *never* advise when the next appointment should be. They were shocked when I pulled out a card from their office with Nurse Hatchet's handwriting. "Oh I guess there was an error" was the response...no apology. I was livid and immediately switched doctors.
Anyway, current doc is good--not great--but I am comfortable and the support staff is competent, albeit cranky at times. ML, start looking far another doctor now, while you are still fired up about it. Your health is too important to leave in the hands of someone that isnt giving you the attention you deserve!
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Sounds like any random doctor out of the yellow pages would be a lot better than what you have.
Ask friends who their primary care doc is and what they think of him/her. If you have other docs, (eye, dentist, etc) ask if they have a recommendation.
See if the possible docs do consultations before you accept them as your doc so you can chat and decide if they fit in with what you want/need.
Check online for questions to ask and your local hospital probably has physician listings.
Get rid of the doc you have now.
Oh, get all your records first-this can take some time-at the very least, two weeks but I'd plan on 4-6 and since you said things run pretty slow as it is, maybe more and get dates as to when the copies will be done and keep at them.
Good luck.
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