Problems With A Doctor's Office

[Birdlady]

Hi everyone. I am not naming doctor names or anything as per forum rules. However, I was wondering if anyone else has had problems with getting reports/phone calls back and explanations from their doctors. I'm getting to the point where I'm about ready to just give up on them. The secretary is either avoiding me or the messages aren't getting passed along. I don't know who or what to believe anymore.

It's been 46 days since my appointment and I've gotten NOTHING out of them. I have no finalized report, no additional tests scheduled, no medications. Absolutely nothing. I might as well have not gone there because they haven't added anything to further my care.

Is this the norm? I am not happy with them at all.

[Crow]

their website says they have an ombudsman, where you can call and complain or mail a letter.

[Birdlady]

lieze,

With my experience, I would not take no news as good news. I'd take no news as no one has even looked at your results/chart. I am serious too. At my appointment, the doctor assured me that I'd have a report within 2 weeks of my appointment. It will be 7 weeks this Thursday. Every time I call, I just keep getting bounced around. "oh you need to talk to a nurse". Then I talk to a nurse and she says, "oh no you need to talk to the secretary." No one wants to take responsibility for the fact that my report is missing. Without that report I can't schedule follow up tests (that I'm probably not going to have done there now) and I'm suffering with 160 HR's in the middle of the summer. /sigh The one nurse told me that things were just missing from my chart and that she'd talk to the doctor and get it "expedited". That was 4 weeks ago...Obviously this means nothing and is a way to get their patients off the phone.

their website says they have an ombudsman, where you can call and complain or mail a letter.

Wow thank you for telling me this. I had no idea that existed haha! This is probably about where I'm at. I'm sick of calling the department to just get told that it will be looked into. I never get called back even when I'm told someone will get back to me.

It's quite pathetic really that with all of our health problems, we have to stress over incompetent doctor offices. Like I need to add anymore stress to all of this!

[Sophia3]

FYI for new patients (I've been at this since 1990!)

No news =no response= Zero Information.

As somebody else said, could mean they never looked at your chart.

Keep pestering. Contact ombudsman w call or certified letter.

Good luck.

[babettess]

Hi Dana,

I have had the same problem. If I remember correctly, I think you saw the same cardiologist as me. It took 8 weeks for me to get my test results. I got very few suggestions on what to do to feel better. I feel that I wasted $15000 of my insurance company's money on the tests there.

I hate to be negative, but I did not have a good experience there. I found a neuro closer to home that has one exam room in his office who treats me with respect and is constantly trying to help me feel better. .

I do hope that you get your results in the very near future and that you get great suggestions to help you feel better. Keep calling them!!!

Babette

[luvmykidz]

I agree with what another person posted about "no news is good news" is NOT true.

When my son was five, he fell and scrapped his knee. Within a week his injury looked horrible so I took him in. They swabbed it and put him on oral antibiotics and told me that they would call with results. I never heard from them so I too believed in the No news is good News. On day five on antibiotics I had to call because his infections still looked bad. When I called, I was put on hold... they couldnt find his labs and said they would call back. Somehow- it was over looked, misplaced who knows but I got a phone call back about 20 min later telling me that they were so sorry , someone should have called take him immediately to ER he tested positive for MRSA. So... always follow up even if they dont call. Its there duty to at least let you know even if its good news. I learned my lesson at the expense of my son.