[Unfortunately, my formerly objective healthcare experiences have taken a turn towards the personal, so from now on I'll also be blogging about my own experiences in & out of the doc's]
So how’s this for irony? The last few weeks, I’ve been working on conducting patient focus groups at all of our hospitals to get patients’ responses to the following question:
Have you ever left a visit with your medical oncologist or other care provider wishing you had more information?
So how’s this for irony? The last few weeks, I’ve been working on conducting patient focus groups at all of our hospitals to get patients’ responses to the following question:
Have you ever left a visit with your medical oncologist or other care provider wishing you had more information?
What kinds of questions do you wish you would have asked?
Based on the results of this survey, we’re creating visual aids and notepads for patients so they can keep track of all the questions they want to ask during their appointments. Oftentimes, new (and returning) patients feel overwhelmed with information…and because the doctor is the “authority figure,” it’s so easy to nod your head and accept what they tell you…and forget to ask the questions nearest and dearest to your heart!
Last week, I was diagnosed with a relatively common, yet serious, women’s health condition that puts me at risk for a whole host of potentially serious health issues (infertility, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease being the heavy hitters) as well as more superficial problems (hair loss, weight gain, acne…you know, every woman’s worst nightmare!). Obviously, I was pretty upset about this information. I did my research online, checked out a bunch of useful forums, and was prepped to go with all my questions for my follow-up visit whereupon the doc would confirm my lab results.
Except that visit never came! The doc called me on Sat. morning to confirm that I might have this “kind of syndrome thing” (her words!) and then told me to call the office on Monday to get a prescription. No time for important questions like: Why this drug and not another? How do I prevent myself from getting diabetes? What kind of lifestyle changes can I make to help decrease my risk of health complications? Where can I get more information?
Based on the results of this survey, we’re creating visual aids and notepads for patients so they can keep track of all the questions they want to ask during their appointments. Oftentimes, new (and returning) patients feel overwhelmed with information…and because the doctor is the “authority figure,” it’s so easy to nod your head and accept what they tell you…and forget to ask the questions nearest and dearest to your heart!
Last week, I was diagnosed with a relatively common, yet serious, women’s health condition that puts me at risk for a whole host of potentially serious health issues (infertility, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease being the heavy hitters) as well as more superficial problems (hair loss, weight gain, acne…you know, every woman’s worst nightmare!). Obviously, I was pretty upset about this information. I did my research online, checked out a bunch of useful forums, and was prepped to go with all my questions for my follow-up visit whereupon the doc would confirm my lab results.
Except that visit never came! The doc called me on Sat. morning to confirm that I might have this “kind of syndrome thing” (her words!) and then told me to call the office on Monday to get a prescription. No time for important questions like: Why this drug and not another? How do I prevent myself from getting diabetes? What kind of lifestyle changes can I make to help decrease my risk of health complications? Where can I get more information?
All things I need to know so that I can help myself prevent future painful and costly issues, placing more burden on me and our healthcare system. Instead, she just wanted to talk about how the office’s adjacent spa was running specials on facials. Then today, she wasn’t even in the office, so I got the message from a nurse from yet another doc that I would be put on one particular kind of med- no questions asked.
And now my only remaining question is:
WTF?!
Every year my (former) roommate and I throw a Seinfeld-esque Festivus party, and this sorry doc and her spa-pandering office definitely deserve a top spot on the Wall of Grievances!
(PS Yes, for all you fellow One Tree Hill fans, that is Haley James Scott at the top of the list- she is way too much of a goody-two-shoes/pancho-wearing has-been for our liking)
Every year my (former) roommate and I throw a Seinfeld-esque Festivus party, and this sorry doc and her spa-pandering office definitely deserve a top spot on the Wall of Grievances!
(PS Yes, for all you fellow One Tree Hill fans, that is Haley James Scott at the top of the list- she is way too much of a goody-two-shoes/pancho-wearing has-been for our liking)
(Aren't our dresses fab? Takes ugly sweater parties to a whole new level)
1 comment:
Hi Lindsey,
My doc recently thought I might have a women's health condition that sounds very like that, but thankfully I could ask all kinds of questions. If it's the same condition, basically the problem is it's ridiculously misunderstood, even amongst docs, with no definitive diagnosis process.
Email me if you like. If it's the same thing you might be interested in what she said.
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