and
I am not stupid
February – May, 2018
Most of us were brought up believing that doctors were
all- knowledgeable, committed and dedicated. Well, that bubble burst!
The first hint that my assumptions were wrong was many
years ago when an eye doctor told me that he couldn’t answer my question
because my 20 minutes were up . . . I would have to make another appointment. Hm-m-m! Oh, I thought that maybe it was that one doctor.
More recently, I have discovered that this situation still
exists and, as a mater of fact, has acerbated into a system where you need a
referral from a doctor even when you are requesting a procedure that you have
had before and the symptoms are identical . . . both the medical persons get
fees and it feels like you are not smart enough to know.
Another situation is where tests are required again
and again for the same thing by different doctors . . . add to that the
frequency of getting tests done . . . more fees for each doctor as well as the
testing facilities.
Then, there are the follow-ups
– that could be a five minute conversation after an hour wait, to confirm
that things hadn't changed or are as they should be . . . (even if the doctor really hadn’t read
your file) then another appointment three or six months later . . . so many of
these could be handled through a phone call or email (G-d forbid). Oops, fees
are more for a visit than they are for a phone call.
Some of the side affects of this presumptuous money-grab are: long waiting times (to see the
doctor who will refer you to the doctor where you will wait again); the
doctors have no idea who you are or why you are there; they are too busy; they
book too many patients; patients need to come back again and again. Not to
mention the psychological toll taken on the patient who is often excluded from
information that could help him understand what is going on.
S/he is likely anxious; fearful; feels like an object;
and is treated like “s/he wouldn’t understand
what’s going on anyway!!”
