What the hell?

[peeonme]

Last year we found that my wife had cataracts that needed to be removed before she could be fitted with new glasses. We made an appointment with that Doctors surgical coordination team and went in for pre-surgical pictures this past week. After about 2 hours of filling out forms and moving from one machine to another the coordinator had us back in her office and told that the Doctor that had seen us originally didn't perform surgery at the facilities that our insurance covered and that his associate would have to do the procedure. She introduced us to the new doctors coordinator who told us that we would have to wait 6 weeks (the new doc. was booked) and redo all of the pre surgical pictures again.

They were given the insurance ID card when we saw the first doctor. We had filled out every form and jumped through all of the hoops... yet they dropped the ball. Getting my wife up and down stairs and in and out of vehicles is not easy, it wears her out. No one offered an apology for the screw up.

I get it when the fries are left out of my order or when the shake machine is down( again). If this was the first time the ancillary staff at a medical facility screwed up I would still be miffed, sadly it is not. It's become pretty common to have an "oops" moment when dealing with these folks.

Does anyone even care anymore?

 

[NotHardUp1]

To be sure, the "caregivers" don't.

I've had numerous doctor visits and tests over the past three months. Although my doctors seem fairly good and some are even caring, their staffs are shit. The "best' ones pretend to be polite but are not really engaged. They complain about being overworked, but every time I am in a clinic, the staff (not the nurses or doctors) are busy gossipping the time away, and quite a few of them.

Just in the past three weeks, four different adminstrative offices either failed to follow through scheduling tests, bungled tests, or got other things wrong and even tried to convey test results they were not qualified to read or communicate. It's embarrassingly bad.

I have to believe these people are being hired along the bottom to keep the standard of living high for the top. Frankly, the med techs look like they couldn't have passed junior college, and I don't think the programs training them even require it.

And too many nurses are being asked to do the doctors' work.

 

[cabinfever]

I would have went off on them - sorry you have to deal with that.

Having spent a little over two months in the hospital in the last two years (fucking covid) I now have what I think is a racist POV meaning I ONLY WANT ASIAN DOCTORS (I am not Asian)

My GP is Asian and a breath of fresh air because he talks directly and looks me right in the eye. I appreciate that very much. He doesn't sugar-coat anything and keeps it real and he is honest and trustworthy. It is the same in the hospital with the Asian Doctors - the one who helped me recover from my covid stoke and the cardiologist who said I might need a heart transplant if my heart doesn't heal itself (covid again).

I like the direct and honest information so I know the possibilities and know what to expect.

 

[peeonme]

A number of years ago I intentionally found a doctor from the mid east, I had horrible experiences with a crowd of American doctors when it came to how my wife was "treated", goofs, bungles and mistakes were common, later I found that other people had problems with docs. from that hospital.

I feel that some spoiled American kids grew up to become drs. for money, could be wrong... but that's how it seems.

 

[rareboy]

It is so unfortunate.

I find that all of the physicians I have in Ontario actually do care and try to make sure that we never fall between the cracks. I am sure the experience is not the same for everyone, but things like cataracts are just run of the mill now and I can't recall anyone having an issue getting them done and done successfully.

I have just had appointments with two of our top ortho surgeons...the first one looked at it and referred me right on to the specialist in ankle and foot fractures.

My partner goes in next week to a quaternary urology specialist that was effortless to arrange,

I am not saying this to sound smug.....it is really that I feel so sorry for Americans, particularly seniors, who are at the mercy of the insurance driven healthcare system. You all deserve better.

 

[peeonme]

^^
Indeed part of it a system that is driven by profit. Another issue is the dumbing down of Americans in general. I saw a neurologist a few years back and he ordered an x ray of my eye sockets before he would do an MRI of my brain. The girls didn't know the word to use they pondered it for a while before I suggested "orbital". Believe me, I hate to do shit like that.

I worked with guys for years who went bowling, drinking and fucking most nights of the week while I studied trig at home. They resented me for knowing what I knew. Putting in some effort on our own time goes a long way.

 

[Rickrock]

I think that most of my doctors are okay, but I have noticed that assistants are doing more of what the doctors used to do and the doctor just reviews it after the assistant has done the preliminary work.

 

[rareboy]

^^
Indeed part of it a system that is driven by profit. Another issue is the dumbing down of Americans in general. I saw a neurologist a few years back and he ordered an x ray of my eye sockets before he would do an MRI of my brain. The girls didn't know the word to use they pondered it for a while before I suggested "orbital". Believe me, I hate to do shit like that.

I worked with guys for years who went bowling, drinking and fucking most nights of the week while I studied trig at home. They resented me for knowing what I knew. Putting in some effort on our own time goes a long way.

Now this is something I can relate to. My triage nurse in Emerg a couple of weeks ago was very nice...but I had to explain to her what an inferior vena cava filter was and even drew her a diagram to explain how it (is supposed to) trap blood clots.