Change Doctor ?

Hello Freinds, I mentioned a couple days ago that my doctors nurse left a message on my phone that I have cirrhosis. I called back to the office and ask if she could have the doctor call me at the end of the day. SHE SAID NOBODY TALKS TO THE DOCTOR that she is the nurse and I can talk to her. Very RUDE. IS it normal for this to happen and the doctor not speak to me and tell me what stage I am in ? My next appt. was a month away and I would worry sick till then. He is a GI with 7 years experience. I found a GI who specializes in heptology,liver diseases, hep C, cirrhosis, and liver transplantation. He has 26 years experience, has written 65 articles, and is the head liver doctor at Vanderbilts General Hospital. He did the transplant on the billionaire Steve something or another.  Did I do the right thing and how do I get copies of endoscopy. ct scan, liver biopsy. and blood work ? I have to have them within 7 days. Thanks to all of you

[Bill1954]

Ah, Steve Jobs was transplanted in Tennessee; he’s the head cheese with Apple computer. They must have done decent work on him; he’s busy out selling ipads now :).

Sure, it sounds like a good move on your part. You should be able to call the old doctor’s office, and tell the receptionist you need a copy of your full file. There might be a per page charge, or they might do it for free. They might also ask you to sign a HIPAA release, which is no big deal; it’s part of the medical privacy act.

You should be able to pick the file up, and if I were you, I’d run it over to the new doctor’s office AFTER making a set of copies for your own file.

Make sure to ask for all copies, including any clinical notes that might have been generated, along with labs and procedure results.

Good luck—

Bill

[djbn13]

I feel for you.  I have Kaiser and can get my test results e-mailed to me pretty much within 2 days, but try to talk to a specialist face to face it's like the guys on mars or something.

I have member services to fall back on with complaints I don't know if your insurance does but it might be a start.

[Trinity4]

Your new liver doctors office can request copies of all your medical records.  You'll need to sign a consent form but it may be Vanderbilt can get your medical information a lot quicker than you can.  Or you can call your current doctors office and request a copy of your medical records and insist they do this expeditiously.  They can't withhold your medical records from you.  

Trinity

[Bill1954]

Ah, Steve Jobs was transplanted in Tennessee; he’s the head cheese with Apple computer. They must have done decent work on him; he’s busy out selling ipads now :).

Sure, it sounds like a good move on your part. You should be able to call the old doctor’s office, and tell the receptionist you need a copy of your full file. There might be a per page charge, or they might do it for free. They might also ask you to sign a HIPAA release, which is no big deal; it’s part of the medical privacy act.

You should be able to pick the file up, and if I were you, I’d run it over to the new doctor’s office AFTER making a set of copies for your own file.

Make sure to ask for all copies, including any clinical notes that might have been generated, along with labs and procedure results.

Good luck—

Bill

[mikesimon]

Good move Floyd. No one should tolerate that type of treatment.

Good luck,
Mike

[nygirl7]

Exactly that is BS.  Most all of us get used to dealing with nurse practitioners at least but that is for the general stuff - a doctor who never see's patients? Wow that just isn't right to me especially with the severity of your situation they should have called you in to discuss all this. Is a nurse a doctor? Hell no.c

Get the files and switch then write a letter to the doctor explaining exactly how damn rude that was, just in case he doesn't have a clue about what is going on. Ridiculous and a GREAT move to get rid of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[meakea]

I sure sounds like a great move on your part...way to go!!

As far as the records, unless the two doctors have the same central record sharing, you will definitely have to sign a release for the old doc's office to send them to your new doc.  Best to do it today!  Go to your old doc's office, sign an Authorization to Release Information (HIPAA form) and give them the name and address of the new doc and ask them to send the the records out immediately.  Be very specific with them that you need this done now, not whenever they feel like it.  Call them again on Monday to see if they have sent them.  If they didn't, be specific with them again.  Call them again on Tuesday to see if they sent them...etc.  Stay on this or they will let it fall between the cracks.

[FlGuy]

Don't imagine that the old doc's office will be real cooperative based, on your recent history.  Whether you or Vandy requests the records, you should make sure that you follow-up to make sure they get where they need to be for you Vandy appointment.  As indicated, a release will be required and possibly some cost from old doc - they can charge you to do it.  In any event, appointments with good liver docs are valuable and worth the effort to make sure that it's effective time for you.

As people have suggested, active participation on your part is important. Don't worry about the timeframes so much - get it right.  Your liver has probably been rotting away for a while now, so getting to the bottom of the situation accurately is more important than speed.

[HectorSF]

Yes, you did the right thing. Congratulations. It your life not the nurses or doctor. You don't want to put your care or life in their hands that is for sure.(!)

"SHE SAID NOBODY TALKS TO THE DOCTOR that she is the nurse and I can talk to her. Very RUDE. IS it normal for this to happen and the doctor not speak to me and tell me what stage I am in ? My next appt. was a month away and I would worry sick till then. He is a GI with 7 years experience".
That is outrageous. Someone calls and leaves a message that says you have cirrhosis and tells you you have to her????? Obviously she has no idea how that diagnosis effect your life. How are you going to talk to her about your illness with that attitude. What a joke. Does she do the same for the doc's cancer patients? I feel sorry for the patients. This is total BS! Run don't walk away from that practice. Their ignorance and lack of compassion is shocking and unhealthy to human beings.

I totally agree with Bill. Call the office, then pick up your records yourself. You have a legal right to those documents. They have to give them to you. Make a copy for yourself then a copy for Vanderbilt. I have a team of doctors at different facilities and I can't count how many times test results and paper work gets lost in transit. My docs are always grateful that I bring my copies with me. You don't want to wait for a month to have an evaluation and then the hospital can't find the paper work. It is a waste of your and the doctors time.

"He has 26 years experience, has written 65 articles, and is the head liver doctor at Vanderbilts General Hospital" worked with Steve Jobs... Way to go! Yes you want the best treatment available. Who doesn't? We are talking about a possible life threatening illness.

Keep advocating for yourself. It really does make a huge difference.
You are headed in the right direction.
Keep up the good work.
Keeping posting.

Best -
Hectorsf

[RobertBeWell]

You should drive over there and smack the ***t out of them for leaving a message of that nature on your machine.

How incredibly obnoxious, unprofessional, cold, rude, disgusting, and low-life of them.

[spectda]

Good move, kick em to the curb! you don't need to pay to be treated without respect. They have no business treating seriously ill people if they can't show some compassion and the doctor can't take a few moments to talk with you. I've never heard of anything like it.
Take care - Dave

[pcds]

With a release the office can fax the records to the new doc.  You can follow up with the receptionist in the old doc's medical records office to ensure it's been done.  Get her name and follow up with her that it's been fax'd.  I have a copy of every test done since I was dx with hep c in March 2010.  It' my new rule, have a copy for yourself.
Judy

[memwis]

"You should drive over there and smack the ***t out of them for leaving a message of that nature on your machine.

How incredibly obnoxious, unprofessional, cold, rude, disgusting, and low-life of them."



You're darn right. It's high time these idiots who consider themselves the gatekeeper to the doctor get called out for their inexcusable behavior. And any doctor that doesn't have the courtesy--much less the decency to call a patient personally to deliver this news speaks volumes.

Floyd, take the excellent advice of these good posters on the board and get yourself to Vanderbilt. Wishing you the very best.  

[medicmommy]

First of all, ditto to what everyone else has said...Second? -I had a similar experience and after I got another hepatologist on the line, I told the nurse," You can kiss my a$$. Not on the left side, not on the right side, but right in the middle. Nobody should be treated like this." (Be my guest to deploy this when necessary...) ;) ~MM

[anhkram]

Didn't know Steve Jobs had a transplant. Why?
anyways, don't settle for that! You def did the right thing. A doc that is that rude probably doesn't have much true compassion for his patients. And 7 years doesn't seem like much experience to me! Amazing how crappy people can be!

[IMstacie]

They forget that the patient is the CUSTOMER!!!!  You are paying them for a service.  There are online forums where you can rate your doctors.  I suggest using them.  I always look at the reviews in addition to the credentials.  You can also see if there has been any disciplinary action taken.

good luck -stacie

[RobertBeWell]

WOOT!