The 10 Minute McDoc Session

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I'm getting tired of the 10 minute session with my docs. As you're telling the doc your symptoms and how you're doing; the doc is reading your chart to figure out why the hell you're there. Then the doc says, "How are you doing?" You say all the stuff you just said. As you talk , the doc is typing stuff. Then the docs out the door. You get a McVisit. He doesn't even ask if I want fries with my McVisit.
 

I hear you Fuzz, I at least want a crown and toy. You're just grateful if they recognize you at all. They don't know what meds you take, what the last diagnosis they made for you was, by the time you get to today's symptoms whoosh they're on to the next patient.
 
Yup, the times I've been to the doc in the past couple of years, it seems that they are "married" to their laptop....probably looking the symptoms up on WebMD. Heck, I can do that...and definitely do, afterwards. It seems that a person almost has to go to a Specialist anymore if they want a good diagnosis...these "Family Doctors" are getting to be little more than a "entry point".
 

The emergency department at our local hospital is the place to go if you really want a decent diagnosis. Unless they have a car wreck brought in that night, those doctors will stay with you until they sort out the problem.
 
I think it's the same all over the country. The last time the hubby went we had to chase him down the hall to ask one last question. I actually have resorted to writing down my questions and reading it to him as fast as I can to get it all in.
 
My GP usually keeps the visits short too. She asks why I'm there and takes it from there, if the situation warrants will refer to a specialist otherwise for general checkups booking a physical is the way to go. I have a list of questions ready too and don't dilly dally. She is very busy and works in other locations. Sometimes if its a simple thing, I'll go to a neighborhood clinic.
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
I think it's the same all over the country. The last time the hubby went we had to chase him down the hall to ask one last question. I actually have resorted to writing down my questions and reading it to him as fast as I can to get it all in.
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We are headed for a shortage of Primary Care doctors. 95% of the current Med Students are aiming at a Specialist career...because that is where the Big Money is. There has been a substantial number of doctors retiring in the past few years as things like Obamacare regulations, and soaring Malpractice Lawsuit premiums are driving existing doctors to retire early. Our entire health care system is long overdue for a major shakeup...and a move towards UHC, much like the rest of the civilized world uses. Medicare is slated to be in serious financial trouble within the next 5 or 6 years, so I expect the next decade will see some major changes...hopefully for the better.
 
Don M. said:
Medicare is slated to be in serious financial trouble within the next 5 or 6 years, so I expect the next decade will see some major changes...hopefully for the better.
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Well,I am certainly doing my part to break Medicare! I have to sit and add it all up when I have time,but I`m sure it will be well over $200,000 this year-with more to come. I keep wondering when they will cut me off. For the past 6 years,my medical costs,paid for myself,were about $50.00 annually. Then everything went to hell. I`m sure I`m not the only one costing Medicare way more than I or my employer (who was me as well lol) ever contributed. There is no way they could sustain this program with what medical costs are nowadays.
 
I've been with my current doctor for about 10 years or more. He knows me, but I too get the feeling that he is rushed as a result of the company that his practice is now part of. When I went for my most recent annual checkup, it was over with in less than 20 minutes. He had to read over all the medical history notes, and that took most of the time.

I told my wife that next time I'll go back to his physician's assistant, whom I'd seen the year before. Couldn't remember when I'd had a more complete and comprehensive exam. I felt listened to, got good advice and appreciated the time she spent with me.
 
It's not the docs fault usually, it's the corporation who tells them how long they are "allowed" to see you and how many patients they are expected to see per day (when they meet their 'goals', they get their big fat bonus checks). Since electronic medical records have come into play, it takes away from the docs one on one time with you. Best suggestion, have a list written down of all your current meds (including otc stuff) that includes the strength and how often you take them. Also have a list of your concerns/why you're there, even if it's a physical.
(Coming from someone who worked in healthcare 30 years).
 
Don M. said:
Yup, the times I've been to the doc in the past couple of years, it seems that they are "married" to their laptop....probably looking the symptoms up on WebMD. Heck, I can do that...and definitely do, afterwards.
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Don :lol:

I've been pretty healthy (knock on wood) and I rarely go to the doctor, just every few years for some bloodwork. I hate going to the doctor at all, and I must be the only person that doesn't mind if his face is glued to his computer during my visit. Take my blood pressure, order my bloodwork, check me out and send me on my way. I have Kaiser and many times I see different doctors anyway, doesn't bother me at all. :positive:
 
Ten minutes? You get ten minutes? I feel like I'm lucky if I get five. I have noticed that since my doctor's practice (a large multi-location operation) was bought by a local hospital system, the quality of care I receive has gone dooooown. And to add insult to injury, they have added a "facility charge" to the bill because even though the office is miles away from the hospital, it's now considered a hospital outpatient visit. Medicare does not want to pay that charge. Every time the facility charge is denied by Medicare, I get a bill from the doctor's office for it; I call and make a fuss and they take it off the bill. I'm sure they're hoping one of these days I'll slip up and pay it.

I keep saying I'm going to find another practice but it seems most of them are owned by the hospital now....and it's such a hassle to change doctors.
 
A recent article in AARP (I think) had a list of things to ask your doctor, as well as a suggestion to write down on the intake form everything you want to discuss with him/her that day.

We go to a sliding scale neighborhood clinic. There are three in our area. It's open for all whether you have insurance, medicare, medicaid or nothing. We still have health insurance through hubby's job, so do not get a discount, but have a reasonable copay. It's really the best place to go for someone who will listen to your issues and deal with them, while giving you time to explain them.

They are staffed CNP's, Certified Nurse Practitioners, and Medical Assistants. The CNP can write prescriptions and refer to specialist MD's, physical therapy, mental health counselors, etc. The three of them are excellent, and I do see the same one each time. It's not a large corporation, but community based non profit. Excellent way to go if you have the option.

I have heard horror stories from other locals about their doctors who are now employees of large companies.
 
SeaBreeze said:
Don :lol:

I've been pretty healthy (knock on wood) and I rarely go to the doctor, just every few years for some bloodwork. I hate going to the doctor at all, and I must be the only person that doesn't mind if his face is glued to his computer during my visit. Take my blood pressure, order my bloodwork, check me out and send me on my way. I have Kaiser and many times I see different doctors anyway, doesn't bother me at all. :positive:
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I "Knock Wood", too. I go in for an annual physical, and even an MRI...because Medicare/Humana covers most of the costs. A couple of years ago, they found some hip arthritis, and the first thing out of their mouth was to ask if I wanted to see a hip surgeon...yeah, right...spend a bunch of money, and be laid up for weeks, over a little pain. A small bottle of Naproxen Sodium (generic Aleve) has worked just fine, and I still have half the bottle left after almost 2 years. I take one ONLY if I've been doing some serious work, and it gives me a good nights sleep, so I feel ready to go the next day. I do go to the eye doctor yearly, for a good eye exam/new glasses, and the dentist twice a year for a good cleaning, and to fix any small cavities before they become an issue.

There is ONE good thing about Obamacare....it has swamped the doctors/hospitals with patients...many of them with serious issues. As such, there is Nothing Affordable about the ACA, for the vast majority of people. Insurance premiums are skyrocketing, and insurance companies are bailing out of the "exchanges", etc. I will be pleasantly surprised if the 2017 premiums only go up by 10%...I think October is going to present some serious "sticker shock" to most people when they see next years insurance rates. It Can't be many more years before our people and politicians wake up and begin to migrate to a SP-UHC system. We pay twice as much for medical care as the people in Canada, the UK, Australia, and most of Europe, etc....and the last time I looked at the WHO rankings for quality of care, the U.S. was ranked somewhere around number 35. It shouldn't take a genius to figure out that our current system is headed for disaster.
 
fureverywhere said:
The emergency department at our local hospital is the place to go if you really want a decent diagnosis. Unless they have a car wreck brought in that night, those doctors will stay with you until they sort out the problem.
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But it will cost you a young fortune and they will hound you till the day you die to collect.

Here, if the reason you are there does not qualify as a real "emergency" they'll just refer you back to a clinic or physician and tell you to go the next day. This was caused by too many people trying to use the ER as their primary care provider.
 
Don M. said:
There is ONE good thing about Obamacare....it has swamped the doctors/hospitals with patients...many of them with serious issues. As such, there is Nothing Affordable about the ACA, for the vast majority of people. Insurance premiums are skyrocketing, and insurance companies are bailing out of the "exchanges", etc. I will be pleasantly surprised if the 2017 premiums only go up by 10%...I think October is going to present some serious "sticker shock" to most people when they see next years insurance rates. It Can't be many more years before our people and politicians wake up and begin to migrate to a SP-UHC system. We pay twice as much for medical care as the people in Canada, the UK, Australia, and most of Europe, etc....and the last time I looked at the WHO rankings for quality of care, the U.S. was ranked somewhere around number 35. It shouldn't take a genius to figure out that our current system is headed for disaster.
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I agree about the affordability of the ACA. Here, several large insurers have pulled out of the exchange, saying they cannot afford to continue. Blue Cross pulled out when our Superintendent of Insurance wouldn't approve a huge rate hike.

We need to go to a single payer system before the whole system implodes.
 
I went for glasses. The doc was examining me and saying stuff that he found to an assistant. As he was checking me out, I thought- OMG, there's nothing you noticed that a good programed computer wouldn't notice. It's coming. You're going to come -get screened by a computer, which will then have you checked out by a "specialist' computer. And at the end, your med will be waiting for you at the pharmacy, or you'll have a computer do your surgery.
BTW I used to work in an OR, and surgery is very routine, like changing a tire.
 
fureverywhere said:
The emergency department at our local hospital is the place to go if you really want a decent diagnosis. Unless they have a car wreck brought in that night, those doctors will stay with you until they sort out the problem.
Click to expand...

Yes !! I went to my doctor after having a sharp pain in my right side for a few days. He did ask me about my appendix, and had me do some tests the next day. Then wanted me to get a cat scan the following week.
My wife took me to the emergency room that evening, I remember the emergency room doctor telling me it was my appendix. (I was kind of relieved, finally finding out what was wrong.) I asked the doctor were they going to operate tomorrow morning? He said no, they're going to operate in about twenty minutes, whew..
 
Hazy Davey said:
Yes !! I went to my doctor after having a sharp pain in my right side for a few days. He did ask me about my appendix, and had me do some tests the next day. Then wanted me to get a cat scan the following week.
My wife took me to the emergency room that evening, I remember the emergency room doctor telling me it was my appendix. (I was kind of relieved, finally finding out what was wrong.) I asked the doctor were they going to operate tomorrow morning? He said no, they're going to operate in about twenty minutes, whew..
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Similar story. Was up most of the night with pain that wouldn't subside. It was the 2nd time it had happened. Wife insisted I see the doctor. Saw a physician's assistant and she suspected appendicitis. Got me in for a CT the next day (pain had subsided by the time I saw her) and by the time I was home from the hospital where I had the test, the doctor's office was already calling me saying to come back the same day for surgery. Sure enough, the appendix had to come out. Did it that night and I was home the same night.
 

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