Doctor's office rant

[Cat]

Ok, I can ignore medical issues and I can also get paranoid...this is the latter. I'm having a girl issue, and I called to get an appointment.....my doc's not in ( no worries) The receptionist asked if I'd like to leave a message, so I do.

When a patient leaves a message for the doctor, please do not sound like your laughing....yes, my problem is most likely nothng, or you could be lauging at your coworker, but it's rather rude. (and if you were lauhing the cw, just let me know that, and share the joke, okies)

It's that attitude that usually makes me skip doctors.

[wagegoth]

If this is a regular issue with the staff, you need to tell the doctor, especially since it's affecting your health.

[MoxisPilot]

OMG, I feel for you!

I had to call my doctor with an extremely embarassing question, and she told me to come in for an emergency check up. When I got there, the receptionist said, loudly, "Are you the one who [insert embarassing condition here]???"

Some people are just damn unprofessional.

[jedimaster91]

Not only is that unprofessional, but here in the US, that's a HIPPA violation. And HIPPA lawyers are vicious.

[MannersMakethMan]

When I got there, the receptionist said, loudly, "Are you the one who [insert embarassing condition here]???"

No, that's your own history you're reading out

[sms001]

the receptionist said, loudly, "Are you the one who [insert embarassing condition here]???"

(As loudly and clearly as possible)

"Yes! And I felt so much better when you told me on the phone that YOU'VE had it three or four times!!!"

[Kiwi]

I hate it at the walk in I go to, you have to state why your seeing the doctor in the freaking waiting room for goodness sake. You can't just say "I don't feel well" or "I need to see the doctor" they make you state whats wrong with you

"I have a sore throat" or

"I need a perscription"
For what?
"Um birth control"
okay wait over there

I HATE having to tell the world my business, I try and say it in the quietest voice possible but its still stupid. It's none of the freaking receptionists business why I need to see the doctor, let alone everyone on the waiting room.

[Primer]

I HATE having to tell the world my business, I try and say it in the quietest voice possible but its still stupid. It's none of the freaking receptionists business why I need to see the doctor, let alone everyone on the waiting room.

Actually, if it's a really efficient practice (hah!) it does help to know up front a little more specifically about what may be going on. They may need to route you to a specific room, or to a specific practitioner, or get certain things set up ahead of time for the nurse.

But I agree, it should be done quietly.

[JLRodgers]

I have to admit, I've always found things like that messed up.... doctor/hospital can't tell your own spouse/family anything about you or even acknoldge they know you --- but they're more than happy to tell a dozen people that you've got some weird condition that you're not even completely comfortable telling the doctor about because they don't have privacy.

And even I have gone up they've said 'oh yes we've been expecting you, sign in please. (you turn to sit) *laughter erupts for no reason*" Then I try to figure out of I had some weird thing on my face, or if something like migraines is funny and I just haven't gotten the memo about.

I swear the receptionist/nurses are quieter talking about their super-secret lunches of ham sandwiches than anything.

[NightWatch]

Actually, if it's a really efficient practice (hah!) it does help to know up front a little more specifically about what may be going on. They may need to route you to a specific room, or to a specific practitioner, or get certain things set up ahead of time for the nurse.

But I agree, it should be done quietly.

Gah, when I call to make an appointment, I tell the lady (It's always a lady, I'm not sexist) over the phone what's wrong with me. When I get there, they always ask me again in front of the whole waiting room.
If it's one of those embarassing or uncomfortable situations, I always tell them that I told them over the phone. They always give me a dirty look but don't say anything else about it, and the room is always set up with the right equipment when I get brought back.

Slightly OT: When I was still under 18 there was one receptionist who absolutely refused to sign me in if I didn't call my mommy to tell her I was at the doctor. There was one time I had such a bad throat infection I could barely swallow my own saliva without weeping and she refused to help me because my mom wouldn't answer her phone. All the other receptionists would normally just sign me in, it was just this one.

I snapped. I hadn't eaten anything besides broth in the past 2 days because it hurt too bad. I couldn't swallow pain meds because my throat was so swollen, I could barely even breathe because of it. So it went a little something like, "Hey, bitch. I f***ing drove myself here, I think I can handle speaking to a doctor. My mom f***ing knows I'm here, but she has a full time job and can't take time off work to take her full -grown daughter to the doctor's office!" My highschool gave out mini laminated copies of your diploma, I always had one on me because I got stopped a lot for skipping school when I had already graduated, so I showed her that.

One of the other receptionists checked me in after that. I never felt bad for acting that way (I only did it once) towards that lady because she was always epically rude to me and would never check me in without talking to my mom first. My mom always knew I was going to the doctor's anyway, and if I told that to any other receptionist that, she'd check me in. Whore-face would refuse me medical attention, even my doctor said she couldn't do that.

[Luna Baby]

Technically, if you are under age, you are supposed to have a parent/guardian with you. However, we do make exceptions for those that are 17 and the parent called to make the appointment. See, we have already spoken to them. Also, if a person is under 18 and is there for planned parenthood, we can't call for permission to treat, we just have to do it.

A lot of times when a patient comes to the window, I may ask why they are there, especially if there isn't an appointment in the book for them. However, I do it rather quietly and our window is set up so that patients in the lobby can't hear me talking unless I actually stand up and stick my head out through the window. Something about high counters, walls, etc. Works really nicely.

I have also said to a patient, "I've been expecting you" when they are a little late coming in for their scheduled appointment. But, it's not to patronize or belittle, but rather a greeting to some of our 'older' patients who need that little bit of spoiling. Our office is in a rather rural area and so many of our older patients don't get out except to go to the doctor's office. Sometimes, we are the only smiling face they get to see for days on end.

[Andara Bledin]

Ugh, I feel your pain.

I once had a really bad throat infection and could barely talk, so I went in to the local Kaiser. I had no appointment, though, because I couldn't talk.

So, I get to the check-in station, and the woman there is giving me the third degree for not making an appointment. If looks could have killed, that woman would have been a smoking bit of sludge on the floor. It takes a high level of pain to get me into the doctor's office at all, and I sure as hell wasn't in any kind of mood to put up with that.

^-.-^

[blas]

Ugh. The asshole of a pharmacist at Wal-Mart last week, who had to LOUDLY explain in great detail how to use the suppositories I needed to take (don't even ask. I don't want to talk about it and I especially did not want to take them!), and everyone around could hear.

[Imogene]

[QUOTE=JLRodgers;567628 like migraines is funny [/QUOTE]
Nothing funny about migraines. According to my doctor at the time, they might've caused my stroke. Though he really wasn't sure... I really get this feeling they never found anything conclusive about what caused my stroke, but he decided to blame it on my history of migraines, because they're 'the leading cause of stroke in young adults'...