Mid-Level Health Providers

[hobbes9324]

Hey, I just figured his MCAT scores weren't quite to his liking....

MM MD

[7ontheline]

Bk,

Re-reading my post it seems it comes across pretty harsh. I don't mean to make it seem that patients are at fault here - it's not like a patient is going to come in and make their provider take a test to prove their competency. All a patient has to go on is the doctor's demeanor and bedside manner.

I've seen poor doctors get by because their patients like them a lot - this despite a high rate of surgical complications, a low general knowledge of the field, etc. There are too many patients out there that are actually TOO trusting - believing everything your doctor says is only good if they take the time to explain it to you.

Eh, I'm not really articulate in internet post formats. I don't feel like I've made any sort of real point here. (Other than coming across as an ass, I suppose.) What I mean to say is that it frustrates me that patients such as yourself feel that their MD is hard to get a hold of, not willing to talk on the phone, etc. These things are true all too often, in part due to time pressures.

[bkholdem]

[ QUOTE ]
Bk,

Re-reading my post it seems it comes across pretty harsh. I don't mean to make it seem that patients are at fault here - it's not like a patient is going to come in and make their provider take a test to prove their competency. All a patient has to go on is the doctor's demeanor and bedside manner.

I've seen poor doctors get by because their patients like them a lot - this despite a high rate of surgical complications, a low general knowledge of the field, etc. There are too many patients out there that are actually TOO trusting - believing everything your doctor says is only good if they take the time to explain it to you.

Eh, I'm not really articulate in internet post formats. I don't feel like I've made any sort of real point here. (Other than coming across as an ass, I suppose.) What I mean to say is that it frustrates me that patients such as yourself feel that their MD is hard to get a hold of, not willing to talk on the phone, etc. These things are true all too often, in part due to time pressures.

[/ QUOTE ]

I at least can develop a sense of a doctor's experience and interest in following through in providing me with thorough care and treatment (or lack thereof) pretty quickly. I learned that about my current MD (his interest in providing thorough care and treatment) during my initial visit. I like a pleasant bedside manner but it is secondary to the former.

And I like to do my own independent research on matters as there is no one more invested in my care and treatment than I am. If a doctor likes and respects this it is win-win.

And my comments about doctors being hard to get on the phone was in relation to my job, contacting my clients doctors. It is simply easier to get the NP and so long as I don't need info coming specific from the MD that is fine. But when I do, and they are one of the ones who never answers their phone and does not return calls aside from situations they prioritize as urgent it is a royal pain in the ass. This is particularly true since I only contact them on matters of particular importance when dealing with the RN will not do.

For my own care it would be rare that I actually need to speak with my doctor on the phone. Dealing with the receptionist and/or the NP is usually fine. I have had a couple situations come up where a doctor gave me their pager number due to particular short term circumstances and I did not need to contact them.

In my limited experience it is the general climate of the office/clinic that can lead to either a positive or negative experience. If the office seems to be on top of the patients appointments, medication needs, etc and has systems in place to provide for efficient provision of these needs it makes a big difference. This comes from the top down, be that the doctor in a small private practice, hospital administration, whatever. Those factors vary WIDELY from place to place and make a big difference. There are places that call prior to each appointment as a reminder, and would call if an appointment was missed and there are others who you would never hear from again if you simply missed an appointment and never contacted them again.
There are places that are organized and professional and places that are disorganized and lax. I tend to think that organized professionals seek out organized and professional work enviornments and vice versa.

And to see a competent NP at a location that it organized, efficient, and puts forth efforts to provide thorough care it is hands down my choice over an MD at a clinic that is disorganized and prioritizes cost cutting at the expense of thorough patient care. In fact I would turn down a top specialist if I needed to see them long term if they were at the latter location.

[2461Badugi]

[ QUOTE ]

I at least can develop a sense of a doctor's experience and interest in following through in providing me with thorough care and treatment (or lack thereof) pretty quickly. I learned that about my current MD (his interest in providing thorough care and treatment) during my initial visit. I like a pleasant bedside manner but it is secondary to the former.

And I like to do my own independent research on matters as there is no one more invested in my care and treatment than I am. If a doctor likes and respects this it is win-win.


[/ QUOTE ]

I want to quote this because it's just so very true. I know a lot of patients don't do this, but a lot of us do. Especially those of us who pretty much have to build our lives around our illnesses. Not that the research is easy when you have a heterodyning neurological condition that nobody really understands even in its isolated form.

It's also pretty easy to judge the competence of a doctor when you switch neurologists and find out that the first one didn't tell you about the potential for having a fatal aneurism at pretty much any time, or that a neuroopthamologist could track the progess of the disease.

(Or when the primary doctor you've been assigned in the hospital because your PCP had a skiing accident comes in and tells you there's nothing medically wrong with you at a time when you're physically incapable of getting out of bed and strangling him.)