Re: Gyn: You can't please all of the people all of the time--long
From: Gordon Goldman (obgyndoc@swbell.net)
Wed Jan 30 13:57:35 2008
Ditto
Gordon
On Jan 30, 2008, at 2:30 PM, Meenan, Anna wrote:
> People will wait all day for the Cable guy but won't wait an hour
> for a doctor, who obviously has a less predictable schedule. Go
> figure. I would not allow her to reschedule if she tries. Let her
> start the whole process over again and see how much time she could
> have saved by waiting.
>
> Anna Meenan, MD
>
>> We all face similar issues--seeing more people for less time, getting
>> paid less, consumerism, etc. We all try to do the best that we
>> can, for
>> the right reasons.
>>
>> Sometimes, for many valid reasons, things just don't work out. One
>> never wants an upset or angry patient, and, in general, the
>> customer is
>> always right.
>>
>> That said:
>>
>> 48 YO P2002 referred by a local radiologist, whom she saw for a
>> possible
>> embolization.
>>
>> The patient was first seen by a local gyn with AUB and a 7 cm.
>> ovary,
>> as well as fibroids. According to the patient, her exam was
>> difficult
>> and the gyn (a good doc)couldn't access her cervix for a biopsy, and
>> wanted her to see a gyn onc ASAP because of the ovary.
>>
>> Next, the radiologist reviewed her scan, and did another, and felt
>> that
>> the ovary was OK, and that she had distorting fibroids. Because
>> of pain
>> and abnormal bleeding her recommended that she be evaluated by a gyn
>> before consideration of embolization.
>>
>> On my exam she had an enlarged, posterior uterus and I could not
>> visualize her very anterior cervix due to distortion and pain. I
>> recommended lapscope/h-scope to assess her bleeding and situation.
>>
>> A month or two later, she self referred to a gyn onc, who agreed and
>> sent her back. She had another ultrasound done by another good
>> radiologist who pretty much had similar findings and "cleared" the
>> ovary
>> per se. Somewhere in there, a Ca 125 was OK.
>>
>> Surgery was planned.
>>
>> Today, I was swamped (every Ob and every annual this AM had extra
>> stuff
>> to discuss), and by the time I came around for her 11:30
>> appointment, it
>> was 12:30, which is a bit later than normal for me (30 minutes,
>> maybe 45
>> on bad days). Frankly, she was to see me at 11:30, and then go to
>> the
>> hopsital for her preop there at 1 PM, so she was going to be occupied
>> from 11:30 to 2, give or take, and was told that when the arrangments
>> were made.
>>
>> She starting fussing around 11:35, and despite the staff telling
>> her the
>> timeframe, she was unhappy. When she finally got brought back and
>> was
>> asked to undress (I routinely examine preops unless I've done so
>> recently), she balked. Eventually, she simply dressed and cancelled.
>>
>> Clearly, I was later than I should have been, and her time was
>> wasted,
>> though she knew that she would be busy from 11:30 to around 2.
>> Clearly,
>> she has shopped doctors and situations.
>>
>> So. . .I am at fault, and in my earlier years, would lament this
>> and
>> be upset. While I'm not happy, I am going to file this in the "You
>> can't please all the people all of the time" file.
>>
>> Thanks for letting me vent--cheaper than therapy :).
>>
>> Garry
>>
>> --
>> Garry E. Siegel, M.D.
>> Private Practice
>> Roswell, GA
>
