Doctors Receptionists....any tips?

[katwoman]

So how do you deal with receptionist that rules the surgery?

A couple of months back I developed a cough that was so bad I was coughing until I vomited and couldn't speak because it aggravated the cough, I went and saw my ENT who put me on antibiotics and told me if it wasn't better by the end of the course to come back and he would arrange a x-ray as he didn't know if it was medication caused (methotrexate) or severe flu....the cough didn't get better and when I phoned the receptionist to get another appointment, she told me 'think its best you see your GP about this', anyway I said 'no Rhuemi wanted to see me again (in between coughing my lungs up), and I asked to leave a message for him to speak with me, so after alot of huffing and puffing she said she would.

Afternoon came and no reply, so I called again, another lot of huffing and puffing from her and then she said hold on, came back and said she got him to do a form for a chest x-ray, got the x-ray done and then I phoned to get the results, you know she wouldn't even put me through to him she said 'I'll read the results to you' and then proceeded to do so...I was so mad, but what do you do?

As it was chest was clear, but cough remained, it was so bad one night i was beside the toilet seat coughing and throwing up and was having trouble catching my breathe - the next day i just went to my GP because it wasn't worth the hassle to try and see Rheumi, as it was it took 3 lots of different antibiotics to clear (and 4 weeks later).

[Lightwarrior]

Tell him that you can not get through. Ask him if he has a pager or a cell phone were you can leave him a message directly. It may take a bit if he is in a patient's room. One of the things I teach nurses is that Docs think in bullet points and we (nurses and most likely patients) think in stories. Be very concise for i.e. "I need to speak to the Doctor, I am stll coughing, throwing up and having trouble catching my breath". Most of the time when I have to intervene between one of our Intensivists and a nurse the nurse is trying to tell the story and the doc gets lost in the story, he needs to hear 1. I need your help now and 2. This is why: facts. I would start by letting him know how that his receptionist is rude to you.

[Sangye]

Wow, Lightwarrior-- that is excellent advice! Great way to explain it to us. Thank you!

[onatreetop]

Love it!!! The only other thing I have done and dont do on a regular basis is walk right in to the office and tell them very nicely that I need to be seen or talk to them NOW! Than say I am sorry but cant wait and dont want to get worse. Only three docs have given me there cell #'s but I havent had to call them yet. So frustrating sometimes.

[elephant]

Lightwarrior excellent advice. So true with doctors. Katwoman, hoping your next call will be successful! That is horrible, what you went through!

[katwoman]

Thanks Lightwarrior, I will mention (nicely) how difficult it is to get past his receptionist, maybe he needs to communicate with his staff as well, i'm sure they don't know my situation.

Onatreetop, I've had one doctor, my ophthalmologist , give me his mobile number and has told me to call anytime, and I knew he meant it because one day I called him and he was on leave from his clinic and saw me at my bosses house....now that is a a doctor that cares!

[Rose]

When I was first diagnosed I was under the care of a nephrologist. I was given her cell and told to phone should there be any problems whatsoever. My first call to her was bad nausea following my first Cyclophosphamude IV. She didn't seem too pleased that I phoned. I developed a rash all over my body a few weeks later and it took me quite a while to pick up the courage to phone her after the last experience. When I eventually did I was tiold she was a nephrologist and not a dermatologist and to make an appointment to go and see one. I knew that the rash was likely from the drugs but when your are on high doses of pred and not feeling great I did not argue. Shortly after that I noticed my wee was a bit darker than usual and was I imagining the white of my eyes had a yellow tinge. I knew what that meant and the next time I phoned I insisted on seeing her. At this point I did not tell her on the phone that I suspected jaundice just in case I would be ridiculed after all i am not a doctor. To cut a long story short I was admitted to hosptial that afternoon whith liver enzyme levels through the roof...... I had drug induced hepatitis. She admitted to me that evening that my liver enzymes were so high that I could have died. The rash it turns out was an allergy to the drugs which could have been bactrin or INH Then she told me that I was never to go on any drugs whatsoever without consulting her first. She was very nice and concerned then. Unfortunaltely I started to develop UTI's and that meant a few phone calls to her. The last straw was when, after being on Imuran for over 5 weeks, I started having severe vomiting and abdominal pain. I tolerated it for over a week before I picked up the courage to phone her. She listened to my short few sentences and then said in a very measured voice that I was always complaining. I could not believe it! These were the only times I ever phoned over a 9 month period and each time was for a serious problem. That was the last straw. Needless to say I found a new doctor after that.

[pberggren1]

My nephrologist, My main Wegs doc, is just the opposite. He always takes my calls and e-mails and will even see me in person on a very short notice. He does not even mind if I track him down at the hospital or his office if it is a concerning matter.

[Psyborg]

So I'm having issues with this. It's almost to the point that I want to get another doctor. Dr Villa Forte is great, but the secretary acts like she is angry with me every time i talk to her. I don't know if I've managed to say the wrong thing at some point to her or what. I'm waiting all week to find out about treatment, while the whole time feeling worse. SO I call in today to ask and the Secretary says, oh you need to call scheduling. I call scheduling and they have no clue what I'm asking about. So I call back and say, "sorry, I may not be clear" and explained again that I wanted an update. At this point she says its scheduling, I say they don't have a clue in scheduling, and she says "I don't either" and proceeds to get snippy with me. All I want is the doctor to call me back at her convenience and I'm getting made to feel like I'm imposing on someone's time. I'm at work and feeling worse every day but I don't have the option of treating people that way.

[DEE]

Been there done that . but it was not only the secertary in was the doctor I was with he just would not listen. I booked the next appointment with the senior doctor and told him what was happening . Now i only see him and regards the sec I just looked her straight in the face the next time I saw her when she was been difficult.and said" have you got a problem with me."
Her face was a picture," No "she said but she never did it again .Something I would not have done before wg .