HUGE CLUE for patients:

GladToBeMrs.SRS

When you see someone like a doctor or a PT or a chiro for an ailment, and they have you fill out paperwork, and on the paperwork are questions like, "Please describe your pain," "When did your pain start?" and, "Were there any events surrounding the onset of your pain?" and, "Have you had any surgeries or traumas to the area?"...

ANSWER THE DANG QUESTIONS.  

 

Argh. 

 

/vent.  

papagena

As a patient - do you know how many times I've sat in the waiting room, with that file, had the Dr. come in, get the name off of the file and proceed to ask me 1/3 of the questions I just answered, omit the rest and proceed to make a diagnosis/adjust without looking at the file again until they write down treatment?

I continue to fill it out, however, as there are Dr.s who use it - and perhaps it is still important to those who don't look at before dealing with the patien...  maybe... 

babyluv617

so you want to know WHY i came in today? demanding, much?

dieselmonkey

here's my clue:

show up on time.  i don't run late, and i don't want you to make me run late.  if i tell you to show up at 8.  show up at 8.  do NOT show up at 845 and be pissy at me b/c i can't see you.  you better show your a$$ up at 8am tomorrow....

(my hijacked vent is over)

GladToBeMrs.SRS

dieselmonkey:

here's my clue:

show up on time.  i don't run late, and i don't want you to make me run late.  if i tell you to show up at 8.  show up at 8.  do NOT show up at 845 and be pissy at me b/c i can't see you.  you better show your a$$ up at 8am tomorrow....

(my hijacked vent is over)

YES.  

I have a 15 minute policy.  If a patient is more than 15 minutes late, they get rescheduled for another day.  I refuse to allow tardy patients to force other patients to wait.  Not going to happen. 

I also schedule 15 minutes ahead of the "actual" appointment time for this very reason.  No, I'm not 15 minutes late seeing you.  I'm right on time. I'm just compensating for those who can't manage their time.  

argh.

smurfetteinred

I want to start by saying that I ALWAYS fill in all paperwork completely! 

papagena:

As a patient - do you know how many times I've sat in the waiting room, with that file, had the Dr. come in, get the name off of the file and proceed to ask me 1/3 of the questions I just answered, omit the rest and proceed to make a diagnosis/adjust without looking at the file again until they write down treatment?

But for real! This happens soooo much to me. When we switched pedi's after Ariel was born, I took her in about reflux concerns. I had to fill out paperwork when I got to the doctors office, then the nurse came in to ask why I was there (completely ignoring said paperwork) and wrote down all the specifics that I told her (for the second time, counting my own paperwork) THEN the doctor came in and AGAIN asked me why I was there and made me reanswer all the questions AGAIN! Seriously people - get with the program! 

GladToBeMrs.SRS

The problem with that, though, smurffy and papa, is that every time a patient is asked, more details tend to pop up. 

For instance:

Patient presents with no pain.  No history of surgery.  No history of trauma.  Just a routine visit.  

Translation:  I can't feel the left side of my foot, I was in a car accident in 1979 where I broke two bones in my leg, and I'm planning on having my knee replaced as soon as medicare kicks in.  

 

::rips hair out:: 

dieselmonkey

smurfetteinred:

then the nurse came in to ask why I was there (completely ignoring said paperwork) and wrote down all the specifics that I told her (for the second time, counting my own paperwork) THEN the doctor came in and AGAIN asked me why I was there and made me reanswer all the questions AGAIN! Seriously people - get with the program! 

  i taught to re-ask why patients were there even though they filled out paperwork or already told someone b/c a lot of times you get a different answer.  they tell the front desk they are there for a cold but then are actually there for STD testing....

papagena

but if you're not going to at least pretend to look at it (and I understand the need to ask certain questions a few ways/ times) don't make me fill it out... People tend to say more than write, anyway.  It's frustrating when they don't even pretend to look at any of it.  Really - how many different ways do you need to ask me if I smoke?  or have had history of cancer?  These things are fairly straight forward. 

GladToBeMrs.SRS

papagena:

but if you're not going to at least pretend to look at it (and I understand the need to ask certain questions a few ways/ times) don't make me fill it out... People tend to say more than write, anyway.  It's frustrating when they don't even pretend to look at any of it.  Really - how many different ways do you need to ask me if I smoke?  or have had history of cancer?  These things are fairly straight forward. 

I (and I know I'm not alone here) read every word written by my patients *before* I walk in the room.  I then proceed to ask them to tell me what's going on.  MUCH MUCH MUCH more information comes out verbally than on paper.  

 So, just because you don't necessarily see them read the chart doesn't mean they don't.  

Jus' sayin'.  

 

:P

papagena

GladToBeMrs.SRS:

papagena:

but if you're not going to at least pretend to look at it (and I understand the need to ask certain questions a few ways/ times) don't make me fill it out... People tend to say more than write, anyway.  It's frustrating when they don't even pretend to look at any of it.  Really - how many different ways do you need to ask me if I smoke?  or have had history of cancer?  These things are fairly straight forward. 

I (and I know I'm not alone here) read every word written by my patients *before* I walk in the room.  I then proceed to ask them to tell me what's going on.  MUCH MUCH MUCH more information comes out verbally than on paper.  

 So, just because you don't necessarily see them read the chart doesn't mean they don't.  

Jus' sayin'.  

 

:P

That may be with some - but I've also known people where I take the chart in with me and then I proceed to watch them ignore it until the end.  I'm not saying you're at fault (obviously - or at least I hope obviously!), and I have no intention of not filling out said paperwork, but I'd venture to say that that may be why not all patients do it.   And yes, I'm certain that some are just lazy... or illiterate.  Who knows!

GladToBeMrs.SRS

papagena:

GladToBeMrs.SRS:

papagena:

but if you're not going to at least pretend to look at it (and I understand the need to ask certain questions a few ways/ times) don't make me fill it out... People tend to say more than write, anyway.  It's frustrating when they don't even pretend to look at any of it.  Really - how many different ways do you need to ask me if I smoke?  or have had history of cancer?  These things are fairly straight forward. 

I (and I know I'm not alone here) read every word written by my patients *before* I walk in the room.  I then proceed to ask them to tell me what's going on.  MUCH MUCH MUCH more information comes out verbally than on paper.  

 So, just because you don't necessarily see them read the chart doesn't mean they don't.  

Jus' sayin'.  

 

:P

That may be with some - but I've also known people where I take the chart in with me and then I proceed to watch them ignore it until the end.  I'm not saying you're at fault (obviously - or at least I hope obviously!), and I have no intention of not filling out said paperwork, but I'd venture to say that that may be why not all patients do it.   And yes, I'm certain that some are just lazy... or illiterate.  Who knows!

Did you know that many insurance companies REQUIRE that clinics keep *something* written, by hand, by the patient, for every.single.visit?  It's to prove that the patient was actually in the office at the billed time.  

 

papagena

GladToBeMrs.SRS:

papagena:

GladToBeMrs.SRS:

papagena:

but if you're not going to at least pretend to look at it (and I understand the need to ask certain questions a few ways/ times) don't make me fill it out... People tend to say more than write, anyway.  It's frustrating when they don't even pretend to look at any of it.  Really - how many different ways do you need to ask me if I smoke?  or have had history of cancer?  These things are fairly straight forward. 

I (and I know I'm not alone here) read every word written by my patients *before* I walk in the room.  I then proceed to ask them to tell me what's going on.  MUCH MUCH MUCH more information comes out verbally than on paper.  

 So, just because you don't necessarily see them read the chart doesn't mean they don't.  

Jus' sayin'.  

 

:P

That may be with some - but I've also known people where I take the chart in with me and then I proceed to watch them ignore it until the end.  I'm not saying you're at fault (obviously - or at least I hope obviously!), and I have no intention of not filling out said paperwork, but I'd venture to say that that may be why not all patients do it.   And yes, I'm certain that some are just lazy... or illiterate.  Who knows!

Did you know that many insurance companies REQUIRE that clinics keep *something* written, by hand, by the patient, for every.single.visit?  It's to prove that the patient was actually in the office at the billed time.  

 

Don't get me started on my total disregard for most health insurance providers.  I consider myself VERY lucky to have had an incredibly expensive and generous plan when we had DS (the employer even had our own CS reps through the ins. company it was that huge).  Other than that, I don't have a whole lot of positive things to say about insurance carriers...  *glares at current insurance fiasco*

ETA: and no, I didn't know that.

GladToBeMrs.SRS

papagena:

Don't get me started on my total disregard for most health insurance providers.  I consider myself VERY lucky to have had an incredibly expensive and generous plan when we had DS (the employer even had our own CS reps through the ins. company it was that huge).  Other than that, I don't have a whole lot of positive things to say about insurance carriers...  *glares at current insurance fiasco*

You and me both, sistah'.  You and me both.  

 

smurfetteinred

I just wanted to go on the record and say that I am quite sure that you read your patients charts and are exceptional at what you do. I am also quite sure that like everything in life, there are good ones and bad ones.

My ob, I'm certain reads my chart, even though she asks me questions when she comes into the room. That pedi, I'm positive, did not. It definitely wasn't a case of probing for more information. She was completely clueless as to why I was there and the nurse even seemed shocked when I said that I suspected that A had reflux. She also, clearly had zero idea why I had walked through their doors. This, among many reasons, is why they were our pediatrician for only a month. Glad, you may remember, that these are the same people that charged us over $35 to transfer the exactly 16 pages worth of paperwork that Ariel had accrued over her time with them.

Just didn't want you to think that I dislike all health care professionals and their charts!