Health care provider, frustrated with patient's or guardian's attitudes

[Heidict]

I could not agree more!! DH is a Primary care physician (internist) he sees 25 people a day on his own, he has over 4000 patients - how can he possibly know everything about everyone? I also agree Drs, nurses PAs, NPs are not servants, they are there to help you, care for you not bow to your every sneeze, or sore throat.

Nobody said that they needed to know everything about everyone. Why does this keep popping up? Please provide a quote in this thread because I have read through it all and can't find one.

What we do expect our doctors to do is look over the chart, especially what the patients major complaint is that day. That's it. We know you can't memorize it and nobody expects that. I have seen a specialist or 2 who didn't bother even finding out why I was there. I didn't bother coming back after the consultation. There are more competent and responsible doctors out there.

Even though people are saying "serve" I don't believe anyone here believes or feels that those in the medical profession are servants. However, we do pay a fee for the service and in return we expect competent care from someone who at least has a decent bedside manner. We don't expect nor do we pay for people to insult us, make us feel like lepers or judge us based upon the insurance that we have.

 

[sunnyday123]

Well now that you word it like that, I can buy that. I agree.. but when you accept money for a service you ARE working FOR that person.

Therein lies the difference of POV.

I have seen all too many doctors who act like they are putting up with my presence. You know what? They get fired. I dont give my money to someone to treat me like a piece of garbage who doesnt matter more than a flea on their dog.
Sorry. I went OT.

In a nut shell, I would have paid more attention had this been my child, but also would not go back to that doctor.

Exactly. I think GM did was she was supposed to do. Should she have barred the door and questioned everyone who attempted to enter? We are exposed everyday to germs and diseases, it's a part of life. The OP was wrong, and just refuses to admit to it.

 

[RadioFanatic]

I understand princess_momma about wanting your provider to know your past medical history, but alot of kids we do see repeatedly and once I see them in person, I usually remember, oh yay they do have this, or was last seen for such and such. If it comes up I do always check about a previous condition that they do have.

Again, in a perfect world every provider would have 10 minutes to review each patient's chart. The truth is we have 15 min per appt, and when busy some of these are double booked, so it just can't always happen.

If I could see only 15 a day, that would be fine, but again, people don't like to be told we can't see your sick kid for 3-4 days since we are so booked. It is the lesser of 2 evils.

shouldn't there be a place in the chart to name these problems, such as the herpes so a quick two second look would remind you and avoid unfortunate confronations like this?

 

[RadioFanatic]

I understand princess_momma about wanting your provider to know your past medical history, but alot of kids we do see repeatedly and once I see them in person, I usually remember, oh yay they do have this, or was last seen for such and such. If it comes up I do always check about a previous condition that they do have.

Again, in a perfect world every provider would have 10 minutes to review each patient's chart. The truth is we have 15 min per appt, and when busy some of these are double booked, so it just can't always happen.

If I could see only 15 a day, that would be fine, but again, people don't like to be told we can't see your sick kid for 3-4 days since we are so booked. It is the lesser of 2 evils.

shouldn't there be a place in the chart to name these problems, such as the herpes so a quick two second look would remind you and avoid unfortunate confrontations like this?

 

[DawnCt1]

shouldn't there be a place in the chart to name these problems, such as the herpes so a quick two second look would remind you and avoid unfortunate confrontations like this?

Then 80% of the patient charts would need to be marked. 80% of the population has had herpes simplex I or II.

 

[npmommie]

Well now that you word it like that, I can buy that. I agree.. but when you accept money for a service you ARE working FOR that person.

Therein lies the difference of POV.

I have seen all too many doctors who act like they are putting up with my presence. You know what? They get fired. I dont give my money to someone to treat me like a piece of garbage who doesnt matter more than a flea on their dog.
Sorry. I went OT.

In a nut shell, I would have paid more attention had this been my child, but also would not go back to that doctor.

My pov is obviously different, I work WITH you .........yes money is exchanged for what I provide, but to imply I work FOR you implies I must do what you want.
I have been "fired" by a patient ( if you want to call it that) for not continuing to prescribe narcotics to a drug seeking patient.
should I have continued to prescribe after a few visits when she was clearly only wanting drugs because she was paying for the visit so therefore I was working FOR her?

in a nutshell no.

as far as seeing history in charts. the setting I work in now, I only have to flip open the chart to the first page to see the history,
when i worked in a clinic setting, the history was on the first page of every patients chart. so yes a quick flip to the first page and I could see the pertinent history of any patient and drug allergies.

I would cut the op a little slack, I don't think she meant to come off however the gm perceived ........she may have just had a bad day, couple that with pregnancy hormones
OP I hope you are feeling better

 

[RadioFanatic]

Then 80% of the patient charts would need to be marked. 80% of the population has had herpes simplex I or II.

showing my inexperience - thanks for the head's up!

 

[NMAmy]

I could not agree more!! DH is a Primary care physician (internist) he sees 25 people a day on his own, he has over 4000 patients - how can he possibly know everything about everyone? I also agree Drs, nurses PAs, NPs are not servants, they are there to help you, care for you not bow to your every sneeze, or sore throat.

I use the same doctor that my mother does, my dd does, my husband does and that my father saw when he was alive. Yes, she remembers things about all of us. When I see her, she asks about my family members--how is dd handling her asthma medication, did I get her scheduled for a sports physical, etc. A few months after my dad died, she called me at home after hours to offer her condolences and to see what my take on my mom's condition was--if I thought she was handling his death okay. This is an incredibly busy doctor who has a waiting list for new patients because the patients she has all rave about her. She's so busy because she cares about her patients and treats them like human beings--not a number.

I'm a little traumatized because she's retiring soon and we'll have to use a doctor who doesn't know all this history. There aren't enough GP's out there like her right now. She doesn't bow down to me when I have a sneeze or a sore throat but she is compassionate and understands that patients who aren't feeling well might not be at their best.

 

[Missy1961]

Nobody said that they needed to know everything about everyone. Why does this keep popping up? Please provide a quote in this thread because I have read through it all and can't find one.

What we do expect our doctors to do is look over the chart, especially what the patients major complaint is that day. That's it. We know you can't memorize it and nobody expects that. I have seen a specialist or 2 who didn't bother even finding out why I was there. I didn't bother coming back after the consultation. There are more competent and responsible doctors out there.

Even though people are saying "serve" I don't believe anyone here believes or feels that those in the medical profession are servants. However, we do pay a fee for the service and in return we expect competent care from someone who at least has a decent bedside manner. We don't expect nor do we pay for people to insult us, make us feel like lepers or judge us based upon the insurance that we have.

Well said.

 

[teacups]

My pov is obviously different, I work WITH you .........yes money is exchanged for what I provide, but to imply I work FOR you implies I must do what you want.
I have been "fired" by a patient ( if you want to call it that) for not continuing to prescribe narcotics to a drug seeking patient.
should I have continued to prescribe after a few visits when she was clearly only wanting drugs because she was paying for the visit so therefore I was working FOR her?

in a nutshell no.

as far as seeing history in charts. the setting I work in now, I only have to flip open the chart to the first page to see the history,
when i worked in a clinic setting, the history was on the first page of every patients chart. so yes a quick flip to the first page and I could see the pertinent history of any patient and drug allergies.

I would cut the op a little slack, I don't think she meant to come off however the gm perceived ........she may have just had a bad day, couple that with pregnancy hormones
OP I hope you are feeling better

I think there is a long road between being called an "IT" and demanding drugs.
And in this particular case, we are closer to the "it" scenario.


I agree with you on the bad day/hormones.
When I was pregnant (each time) the world revolved around my unborn child.

 

[booger73]

I think.. some things to think about:

1) Grandma is looking out for what's best for her GS, no matter what (which is good, because that's her right and what she came to the dr office for)
OP, however, is also looking out for her newborn/pregnancy, no matter what (all risk aside).. I mean, truly, who is there to lookout for the ones you love other than, perhaps yourself and family [of course, that isn't always the case too - case in point: john/kate+8]
Anyways, emotions and certainly thoughts can run high, and even words/actions/feelings can be misinterpreted/misconstrued when two people are in that situation... we weren't there... period.

2) Perhaps a little "compassion fatigue" (look it up).. has set in for OP.. add in maybe what you can call 'baby drain' (is that offending? hope not).. and you might see how things aren't just the greatest all the time.. i mean seriously, do you expect every healthcare provider to be 'the perfect dr/nurse/pa/np/emt' all the time? it doesn't exist... if you think that a healthcare person is bad for feeling the way they do at times, you'd probably have over 80%+ of us not practicing just because a way they think about someone or something might be 'offending'.. it's just like any normal person i think - there are things/people or situations that disgust us all.. we don't jump over people for every last single feeling they have..

3) Not that it's a big deal (but just pointing out for info) - medicaid/schip is a state/federal govt run program.. not private pay or insurance.. it has nothing to do with taking care of someone (i agree).. but don't we all feel sometimes 'can't believe my tax dollars are going to.. _fill in the blank_ with (this or that govt/state run program)'

4) No one knows how OP feels obviously (who knows if still reading thread even), but seriously folks, give it a break... you can't 'make' people do things (nor should you).. you can certainly voice your opinion in dissent or support or make suggestions on dififerent behaviors or ways of looking at things, but some of those comments are bordering on not very nice.. it's a message board yes, but for sakes, can't we all just be a little nice?

 

[kilee]

I think a sincere apology is in order. If things happened as you said them, I do not think you acted in a professional manner. As a patient, I would be very offended by the scripting you used for your questions, and I'd probably complain to everyone that listened.

What I don't seem to get, is why did the fact that this child has Medicaid matter? I work in a community health center that serves over 80% Medicaid patients. It is a whole different world from private practice that is for sure. Yet, we recognize that many of our patients have barriers that prevent them from properly seeking healthcare. We have a "mission", and it takes a special person to work in a "clinic" setting. Not trying to flame, but I don't think it's you. You seem to be very "put off" by patients with Medicaid, and act as if they deserve less from you.

I am very disgusted at just about everything my tax dollars go to, however, in my professional life my opinion on the matter doesn't count.

I would think that by opting for this career path, you would look at each patient as an individual and not as an "insurance plan". Also, many primary care offices are overbooked these days. Since May H1N1 has been overflowing our doors (great for revenue, but not so great for the burn out factor). We have 9000+ patients and have been consistently overbooked 35% since May, it has to be taken in stride.

Having EMR is not a valid excuse either. Sounds like it might be time to ask your director to look at your work flow processes, and have them re-evaluated. You need to adopt a process that allows you to be both informed of the patient at hand and to engage them.

I really just cannot say it enough, but your job is to provide great, quality care, irregardless of the patients insurance or sense of entitlement. There are thousands of pregnant health care providers and it cannot be used as an excuse to treat someone poorly.

 

[teacups]

I think a sincere apology is in order. If things happened as you said them, I do not think you acted in a professional manner. As a patient, I would be very offended by the scripting you used for your questions, and I'd probably complain to everyone that listened.

What I don't seem to get, is why did the fact that this child has Medicaid matter? I work in a community health center that serves over 80% Medicaid patients. It is a whole different world from private practice that is for sure. Yet, we recognize that many of our patients have barriers that prevent them from properly seeking healthcare. We have a "mission", and it takes a special person to work in a "clinic" setting. Not trying to flame, but I don't think it's you. You seem to be very "put off" by patients with Medicaid, and act as if they deserve less from you.

I am very disgusted at just about everything my tax dollars go to, however, in my professional life my opinion on the matter doesn't count.

I would think that by opting for this career path, you would look at each patient as an individual and not as an "insurance plan". Also, many primary care offices are overbooked these days. Since May H1N1 has been overflowing our doors (great for revenue, but not so great for the burn out factor). We have 9000+ patients and have been consistently overbooked 35% since May, it has to be taken in stride.

Having EMR is not a valid excuse either. Sounds like it might be time to ask your director to look at your work flow processes, and have them re-evaluated. You need to adopt a process that allows you to be both informed of the patient at hand and to engage them.

I really just cannot say it enough, but your job is to provide great, quality care, irregardless of the patients insurance or sense of entitlement. There are thousands of pregnant health care providers and it cannot be used as an excuse to treat someone poorly.

Excellent post.

 

[npmommie]

I think there is a long road between being called an "IT" and demanding drugs.
And in this particular case, we are closer to the "it" scenario.


I agree with you on the bad day/hormones.
When I was pregnant (each time) the world revolved around my unborn child.

Who called someone an "it"?
did I miss something?

 

[Mickey's Minion]

I think a sincere apology is in order. If things happened as you said them, I do not think you acted in a professional manner. As a patient, I would be very offended by the scripting you used for your questions, and I'd probably complain to everyone that listened.

What I don't seem to get, is why did the fact that this child has Medicaid matter? I work in a community health center that serves over 80% Medicaid patients. It is a whole different world from private practice that is for sure. Yet, we recognize that many of our patients have barriers that prevent them from properly seeking healthcare. We have a "mission", and it takes a special person to work in a "clinic" setting. Not trying to flame, but I don't think it's you. You seem to be very "put off" by patients with Medicaid, and act as if they deserve less from you.

I am very disgusted at just about everything my tax dollars go to, however, in my professional life my opinion on the matter doesn't count.

I would think that by opting for this career path, you would look at each patient as an individual and not as an "insurance plan". Also, many primary care offices are overbooked these days. Since May H1N1 has been overflowing our doors (great for revenue, but not so great for the burn out factor). We have 9000+ patients and have been consistently overbooked 35% since May, it has to be taken in stride.

Having EMR is not a valid excuse either. Sounds like it might be time to ask your director to look at your work flow processes, and have them re-evaluated. You need to adopt a process that allows you to be both informed of the patient at hand and to engage them.

I really just cannot say it enough, but your job is to provide great, quality care, irregardless of the patients insurance or sense of entitlement. There are thousands of pregnant health care providers and it cannot be used as an excuse to treat someone poorly.

Thank you. And thank you to all the other health professionals here who feel the same way. It is refreshing to know that the majority of health professionals out there really do care about their patients as humans and not just as the next appt and that they don't believe their patients have an entitlement attitude just because they are not as fortunate as those that can afford private insurance.

 

[lillygator]

did op, go back and apologize after the dr told her too? I missed that part.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

did op, go back and apologize after the dr told her too? I missed that part.

I believe she posted and said she did try to call the family, but their phone number(s) had been disconnected.

 

[Stitchfans]

Why do you people even care. For crying out loud. This thread was 3 pages away and was almost dead. Let it go! Don't you have anything else in your lives better to worry about???? Like I said, vultures picking the bones clean!

 

[dismom2]

Nobody is expecting their doctor to remember every nuance about them but they can certainly take the minute before they come in to check the chart quickly. They can also make sure not to treat patients like animals by making rude comments because they don't want to treat the child. They can also not be obnoxious because people are on medicaid. The type of insurance is irrelevant. The OP here is clearly annoyed because not only does the patient not have insurance that she thinks is acceptable, but they actually were more concerned with their own child rather than worrying about who might be pregnant or have some other health problem when they are trying to get their child well.
Maybe servant isn't the right word, but I am paying for a service. If you are there to help then help. If you are annoyed by the method of payment or you only want to see kids who are there for well visits (except if they have herpes) then the medical profession is not for you.

This thread made me sick. I think th OP was very rude, and should find a new profession.