Over at shrink rap, Dinah wrote today about psychiatrist bashing.
Why? She is responding to lots of talk in the media and blogosphere about - in a nutshell - how some psychiatrists jam patients into their schedule books for too short sessions, throw scripts at people for meds without enough problem solving, without enough ruling out medical co-morbidities, and without enough listening.
I am all for enough time. I am all for medications when appropriate, medications when there is time to talk about pros and cons and side effect profiles. I love ruling out medical co-morbidities. And I love to listen. My favorite TV shows are the classic soap operas. Guiding Light, may you rest in peace.
But please consider this:
I run almost always on time. I do not overbook. Ask your gyn how she schedules. I know because I hear the staff talk in the elevators. The popular gyn in my building triple books.
With me, your time is your time.
I see some for 30 minutes. Some for 50 minutes. I see first visits for 90-120 minutes.
All of that time is YOURS. No one else is squeezed into the slot.
If you are late or do not show, I keep checking the waiting room. I keep checking my voice-mail. And then I call you to make sure you are not dead in the street. This is YOUR time.
If I offer you two possible times for your next visit, and you cannot make them, I offer you a third time. That third time comes from my personal time. In other words, my kid will get picked up by someone else if I have back up, or I will change my dentist appointment, or I will not get to my groceries that day.
Today I had 7 patients scheduled. Three showed, two forgot, one had too much to juggle and canceled, and one was my mistake and is really coming next month.
Two paid.
Puhleeze.
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2 comments:
Isn't the prevailing attitude about doctors that they're all out for themselves, wanting to be paid exorbitantly and play golf? If I hear one more time, or read one more blog comment about how practicing medicine is an altruistic profession, and therefore doctors should be GIVING their knowledge away, I might give up on media all together.
My psychiatrist gives me one hour of his jammed packed time once a month. He knows I leave work early and travel a long distance to see him. He gives me the last appointment of the day which is around the supper hour. I really do appreciate that he does this for me and what he does for me.
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