Re: OB: Billing...now phone Rx.
From: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com)
Tue May 23 08:13:23 2000
Zach -
IMHO - advice is seldom worth more than what you pay for it.
art
At Mon, 22 May 2000, Zach Newton wrote:
>
>On the issues of charging for phone calls and attendant resource cost
>and uncompensated service provided, I feel unambivalent.
>
>If the call is relevant to continuation of previously prescribed
>maintenance medication that for whatever reason is not refillable
>by an established patient who is not negilegently overdue for an
>annual appointment, my duty is to facilitate that maintanence.
>It is a business cost.
>
>If the call is in regard to an acute complaint that requires an
>assumptive diagnosis, a differential decision must be made as to
>disposition. Today, more often than yesterday, recommendation for
>a focused visit is made. Frequently, an assumptive diagnosis is made
>with observational or therapeutic recommendations made, including
>a phoned prescription, with caveat of patient being responsible
>for calling for work-in visit without prompt response. It is good
>will.
>
>Our relationship with patients must encourage communication to
>assure health maintenance. Barriers to that distinguish patient
>phone calls from client calls to lawyers and CPAs.
>
>Judgment must be made on each call as to when manipulation is
>replacing reasonable need. There is always a line in the sand.
>Abuse of power as represented by prescription authority is not
>morally, ethically or economically good sense. Patient responsibility
>for calling and responding to recommendations is a requisite in
>the equation.
>
>All IMHO.
>
>--
>Zach Newton
>Z. B. Newton, III, M.D.
>Atlanta/Gyn
>
--
art fougner, md
A series of 1000 cases begins with but a single anecdote.
