Do You Hate Going to the Doctor?
By Paula1966
@Paula1966 (1102)
United States
November 27, 2008 1:45pm CST
I know a lot of people have things that make them not go to the doctor... fear of needles, fear of picking up something ELSE in the office, too busy, etc. etc.
But do you hate goin to the doctor because of.... POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE???
I don't know why, but the doctors' offices around where I live seem to feel customer service is not something they need to practice. I really should go see about my high blood pressure, but the last doctor I saw is no longer covered by my insurance (out of network, insurance changes, etc.). Despite a promise "Yes, we will get on your insurance", they didn't bother. When I call and ask about the status, I get attitude from the office staff.
To top it off, my husband is very ill - chronic cough, phlegm, can't sleep because of it. Went to the doctor (the one NOT on the insurance) in October - "You're fine. Nothing wrong." Gets worse. Goes back. Sent to get X-rays and spirometry. I call a week later for results. "Call the specialist." I call the specialist's main office, an hour north. "You have to call the clinic he went to." Call the clinic. "You have to call the specialist." I called the specialist, they said to call YOU, I have to get ready for work, can you please find someone to take over tracking this down for me? "Sure. Let me transfer you." Voicemail. Call first doctor back, getting a little upset, starting to cry from frustration. Getting talked over by snippy girl, asking me five times in a row the same question just reworded, without pausing for response. Ask her to give me a chance to speak. Answer her question, she goes and looks, surprise surprise they HAVE the results sitting on a SHELF. Have to go back to see the specialist. Goes to the specialist, come back in two weeks....
This isn't my only customer service issue with doctors, just the most recent. Maybe I am sensitive to poor customer service because I train people in it. Honestly, I would rather face ANY needle rather than deal with treatment, or lack thereof, like this.
Still, do YOU feel customer service is something doctors and their staff lack? Do you feel patients are customers, or do you feel doctors shouldn't have to worry about something as mundane as that? Do we give them the fear we gave witchdoctors and medicine men of old? Or am I just a kook?
2 people like this
22 responses
@Paula1966 (1102)
• United States
28 Nov 08
I have been in the position where I have had no insurance, and understand money being tight as my husband does not have a job. However, if I were paying full price for the doctor visit (which in this case I am, because my husband is seeing a doctor NOT on my insurance), I would not feel lucky to be treated poorly. Waiting so long until you are only getting two hours of sleep a night due to your illness after repeated visits is not lucky. It's money I cannot really afford draining out of my bank account. But I don't want my husband dieing. It would be nice if the doctors' offices saw it the same way.
@mengrufa (239)
• China
28 Nov 08
I don't really want to go to see a doctor at all. Because every time i go to see a doctor , i must spend a lot of money to have my illness cured. Whoever may think that there doesn't need so much money to treat one's illness, expecially a slight one. But the doctor didn't think it that way , some of them want to earn as much money as they can when treating a patient. What's more , they don't treat one's illness seriously until it is getting quite seriously, and they don't check carefully and don't care what is the matter. I still remeber at one time i went to a doctor and she asked me what medecine didn't the doctor give me last time , and she wanted me to remember the name of the medicine. So, from this , how could we think?
@Paula1966 (1102)
• United States
27 Nov 08
Everyone is human, but I wouldn't mind them being wrong half as much if they weren't so "I'm-smarter-than-you-so-don't-question-me" confident in their wrongness!
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
27 Nov 08
here in ontario (canada) basic health care is free (we pay for it in our taxes) but because of this, any one that is a hypocondriac can go to the drs for free and the doctors here are over worked, so it is hard for a person to get a good diagnosis a lot of the time. my mom has had stomach problems for a long time and just recently found out it was gallbladder issues!
i find that they rush you in and out and you dont get the service you require. plus, i hate to wait (wait times can be over an hour!)
@Paula1966 (1102)
• United States
27 Nov 08
Here in the US it seems like doctors have a lot of patients too. However, you are right, it seems like you can't get what you (or your tax money in your case) is paying for in terms of service!
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
27 Nov 08
I don't worry about picking up something or things like that - but what I really hate most is having to wait LONG past my appointment time. I am there at my appoitment time and have to sit for over an hour in the waiting office, then am called back and sit another 1/2-1 hour to the point htat I am so tired I have almost forgot why I am there and most certainly forgot my questions or things I was going to say! And then I am in and out in 15 minutes! I know emergencies come up some times, but most of the time I have found out in talking or listening to others is that the doctors schedule at least 2 patient at the same time or just 10 minutes apart. PUt an hour of multiple same time patients together and the rest of us sit for hours... yet they make us sign a form saying that if we don't cancel before 24 hours of the appointment that they will charge our account $25 - $50 and there is one I went to that said if we are more than 15 minutes late they will charge my account! I want to really ask - well can I deduct from my account iif you don't call me in at my appointment time? - but am afraid I won't get "good service" from the doctor. What are ya gonna do!
@Paula1966 (1102)
• United States
28 Nov 08
I've had that same thing happen as well. I was in the examination room so long NOT being examined, I pictured my husband in the waiting room growing livid. I came out, and he had taken a two hour nap and hadn't even realized how much time had passed!
What am I gonna do? Complain and moan on myLot, I guess. LOL. Oh, and start searching for yet ANOTHER doctor, at least for myself. Maybe one day I will find someone worth staying with.
@icegermany (2524)
• India
27 Nov 08
it is not that i hate visiting to doctors but i really dont want to fall ill and as i have to take care of my family. i have a son whom i have to look after and cook and all the house work and hence when i am ill i may face problem in doing so and that is the reason why i dont want to fall ill and dont want to visit doctor. it really becomes dificult to manage the house when we are ill.
@Paula1966 (1102)
• United States
27 Nov 08
Which should be WHY when we aren't as sick we should be able to get decent treatment from a doctor's office so it doesn't progress to something so bad you can not take care of things like the house and your family. Worrying about managing doesn't help you get better any faster when you are already run into the ground.
@complexvanilla (653)
• India
28 Nov 08
Good customer service or not, I'm terrified of going to doctors! I'm so reluctant to go to doctors that my condition invariably worsens very badly before I finally decide to see the guys in white coats! My sister is a doctor so I rely mostly on her advice for pills and medication but never actually see one, and time is not an issue. I guess I'm too nervous about seeing a doctor in general. I guess after reading my response, you would have decided that you are not a kook after all!
@maroseqf (3657)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
I don't hate going to the doctor because having checked up by a doctor really helps to make me feel better. I used to visit my doctor regularly when I was still pregnant. I had my monthly check up with my obstetrician. Well, I just hate the fact that we have to wait for our turn during our scheduled visits to the doctor. My doctor has alot of patients so we really have to wait for our turn.
@takeshi_azumi (17)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
It is not that i hate going to see a doctor but it is just that i don't trust a lot of them. A few might be good and nice but most of them served poor customer assistance. Sometimes they need lots of checking from you even though it is not necessary. Are they up to our money only? Also, I hate the long waiting time before we get entertained...sigh
@satishvarma142 (302)
• India
28 Nov 08
depending on the type of disease ..if i get cough,fever i wont go to doctor i will take medicines.. sometimes i do go to doctor
@iMarketplace (2)
• United States
28 Nov 08
Wow I think you are a great writer and i think that you should be a professional writer actually below I have a few websites to refer you to:
sebboggs.webs.com
@misscarin1983 (81)
• Canada
28 Nov 08
I only hate going to the doctor when its time for a *ahem*(exam)!!!!!
Other than that i'm fine with it.As far as customer service goes,i live in toronto,so healthcare is covered for us,but i don't have any complaints,most places have well mannered staff.The only thing i don't like is the long wait!
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
28 Nov 08
I believe they do not give you good service because they do not have to. There are a shortage of doctors in Canada, I do not know but I would suspect there is one in the US too because you are always poaching our well trained doctors that we need here.
@eynjel05 (444)
• Philippines
28 Nov 08
I always take good care of myself. I always eat nutritious doods such as vegetables and fruits. THe main reason??? I hate it when I am sick because it means one thing.. my mom will send me to the doctor. And I'll admit, I am afraid not with the doctor but with the stuffs like getting some blood samples etc. So as much as possible I just see to it that I'll never get sick.:-)
@wendybrock (131)
• United States
28 Nov 08
I have had the experience of poor customer service with the doctor. Honestly, I've been to the doctor with all my symptoms and she said to me "I really don't know." And didn't even offer to find out! I haven't been back.
