How To Know When It’s Time to Switch Doctors
I know. Switching doctors is about the last thing you want to do when you’re seriously ill. You’re weak, you’re scared, and you’re short of time. Also, how do you know the next physician will be an improvement?
So it’s not a task you should undertake if your grievances are minor — and by “minor” I mean maybe your doctor made you cool your heels for an hour in the waiting room…once. Or perhaps called you by your first name early in the acquaintance, while introducing herself as Dr. Smith….once.
But if the offenses are repeated, or are grave in nature, you simply have no choice. About the worst thing you can prescribe for yourself when you’re in bad shape is a clueless physician. Here are some indicators that a switch is in order:
* You took a batch of tests, had them sent to the doctor, and the physician’s office not only can’t seem to locate them — they don’t even try.
* You came armed to the appointment with a series of vital questions, which the doctor waves away with, “Let’s get to those next time, shall we?”
*You ask the doctor how long you have to live, and the answer is, “I don’t think that’s a useful line of inquiry.”
* The office staff is rude, unresponsive, or when you phone, regularly keeps you on hold without apology for ungodly lengths of time. (A sure sign either that they’re being paid too little; or the doctor doesn’t care enough to hire better staff. Or, most likely scenario: both).
* Without warning, the doctor goes on a four week vacation (or to a medical conference in Tahiti), leaving you and the rest of the patients completely adrift.
Any or all of these are switch indicators. Ask around. Call your local hospice and ask its nurses or physicians whom they’d recommend. Consult consumer magazines. It’s more than likely the next doctor you pick will be an improvement. And you not only deserve it. You need it.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:18 am
Do you know the difference between a doctor and God? God doesn’t think he is a doctor….
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:20 am
2 other indicators: when the doctor says ‘trust me on this one’, and when he says ‘this is too complicated to explain to a lay person’.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
Whenever I went to the doctor with my dad, who was terminal, the doctor would smile and inform me that I was just wasting my time. That my father is a responsible, intelligent human being and that he — the doc — would take excellent care of him, and essentially I should just butt out. After he repeated this not -so-subtle message during the course of three or four visits, I realized he preferred not to be bothered by a prying pesky relative. Dad agreed, and we switched doctors. Good decision!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 am
Perhaps you should write a column about how and why doctors sometimes drop patients. I retired after 40 years — and one day I just may write a book about patients and their families. It isn’t always pretty. There is more than one side to this. Just because someone pays our fees (usually an insurance company) doesn’t we’re now the property of the patient.