A
female
age
41-50,
anonymous
writes:I m diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I have been a regular patient to my doctor who is always busy and have schedule which conflicts my working hours. One day he told me to get the ultrasound and blood tests done and see him after 5 days. But as i was busy in office, i couldn't take these tests and ultrasound done till the 5th day. But on 7th day (saturday) when i visited his office for blood test , i found that he is going on leave for 10 days and he will sit only till noon that day as that was saturday. As i didn't have my blood tests reports ready by that time , i told his assistant to call me in noon if he plans to sit till eve that day (As he usually does on saturday) but he called me just 5min. before the doctor was ready to leave. As i was working in my office that time , far away from doctor's clinic, and could not reach him within 5 min. I told his assistant to connect me to the doctor so that i can ask whether i can continue the same medicine till he come back which he prescribed me 7 days before. But the doctor refused to talk to me over the phone. I m confused was his behaviour unappropriate towards me or I was wrong in telling his assistant to connect me to him over the phone? Should I change my doctor or should take it as general thing because of his busy schedule. I am really disappointed with his way of treating me as a patient. Please reply. Thanks in advance for your help. Reply to this Question
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female
reader, RedAthena  +, writes (19 June 2011):
 I work in the medical field and can tell you that working with a Doctor with a busy schedule is quite an art.You were told to get some tests done and put it off for 5 days. It is up to YOU to do YOUR part in a timely manner, even if that include you taking time OFF work to get it done.It is your health and needs to be your priority.Because you put things off until before he was going to be out, he was trying to squeeze you into his schedule to meet with you.Doctors do not need to make themselves available 24hrs around the clock to accomodate their patients lives. There are clinic hours and you need to tailor yourself to that availability.I would not be suprised that the Doctor refused to speak with you, you could have given a message to the assistant regarding the medication. That is quite demanding.If you need medication, talk to the assisant and ask if there is anyone covering for your Doctor while he is gone?No his behaviour was not innappropriate, you were unreasonable. You were given a sufficient amount of time to get your part done, and put it off. He tried to accomodate you and you could not meet it. What more do you think he should have done?I have worked with many patients that feel they should see their Dr. anytime they want or have their needs met on demand. It simply is not possible. It is not a rejection or judgement. They have lives, families, events, classes, meetings, and even their own illnesses!I have heard patients screaming at staff because a Dr. went on vacation and she refused to see the covering Physician because she did not know him. That woman ended up going to the Emergency Room later because SHE was the one that rejected earlier medical care. She wanted to sue the clinic for not "properly" telling her that her Dr. would have been out of town, then she would not have become upset and needed to go to the ER.Doctors can not accomodate everyone or everything. Best Wishes.
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (19 June 2011): Do you think your doctor must work around YOUR schedule? If you care about your health, you must compromise on work.Next, medical professionals don't like to give patients results over the phone when the condition is truly serious. I'm willing to bet the ultrasound showed something that you could need more than a medication to treat. You need to calm down and not take this personally...hyperthyroidism makes people act irrationally. My mother had it so bad it would have killed her in a matter of days had her physician not noticed her goiter, given her an ultrasound and bloodwork when she saw him for a completely unrelated issue.You need to make an appointment ASAP and keep it. Your life likely depends on it!
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A
female
reader, CindyCares  +, writes (18 June 2011):
 If you are not satisfied with your doctor and your working hours are conflicting, yes probably you should change, after all the patient pays money for a service and this service should be to her satisfaction. BUT, for that to happen, a patient need to be cooperative and do her part too. I think that, since you knew your appointment was in 5 days, you should either have arranged to have all your tests ready by then ( how, it's your responsibility, like, taking a day off from work , for instance ) or, if that was not possible at all for you, immediately have called his office to reschedule your appointment at a later date. If you show up and want to be squeezed in between other patients, some times they can accomodate you and some times they cannot. Personally, I'd have strong objections if a doctor would take calls from another patient during MY allotted time.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (18 June 2011): From what I read you did nothing wrong. Your doctor is happy to receive payment for treating you, but didn't consider you important enough to give you information over the phone. The staff didn't consider you important enough to advise you much sooner about how long the office would be open. Is this the quality of service you would 'just take' anywhere else? Your doctor shows you how important you are every time they double book appointments and leave you hanging about in a waiting room. And by comparison how much time has he/she spent waiting for you? Doctors may indeed be busy, but who isn't? What working person isn't busy? If the medical community saw people not as patients, but as paying customers who can easily take their business elsewhere, the quality of service would improve considerably.By all means, express your dissatisfaction and if you don't get a favourable response, switch doctors.
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