How can I tell my provider I need her to be more thorough?

[RDC77]

I've been with my current provider for nearly eight years and she's great! I don't want to change providers. She's perfect in almost every respect, except for when it comes to her clinical skills. She blows through my annual physicals so fast there's no way she can be doing a good job, and I'm afraid she's going to miss something important. I don't know how to broach the subject without offending her, or worse, sounding like some kind of pervert. Any suggestions? An anonymous note to the practice?

[RubyWitch]

I think specialmom has excellent advice. When I go in for my CPE, I take a list and sometimes that list is LONG, but it's MY health and MY money. I'm plenty old enough and have been going to doctors long enough to know the difference between a Wellness Exam and a full tilt CPE. If your doctor is marking your chart as having done a CPE when in fact all she has done is a Wellness Exam, that CAN be considered Medical Malpractice! I make sure there are referrals to the lab at least a week before my exam for complete blood work, which should include a full CBC, a fasting lipid profile and an A1C (blood glucose 3 month panel for diabetes) When my doctor and I are going over my blood work, I ask him to bring up lasts years results so I can see if there are any major changes......and if I have questions or concerns, I ask him to explain. I don't leave until ALL the questions on my list have been addressed. Perhaps my doctor finds me to be a bit of a pain in the gluteus maximus, but I've always considered that HIS problem. As I've gotten older (I'm 67) I am finding that I'm much less inclined to just "let things go" and assume the doctor is on top of everything. My mother's generation would never dream of questioning a doctor...…….I'm VERY glad I grew up in the generation that believed in questioning authority, because I've caught enough oversights and outright mistakes that I've become really diligent. When you wrote...….."Since I am in generally good health and don't have any particular complaints, she just does a Well Exam...……." I would hold her to the highest quality care she owes you, regardless of your outward health, or as specialmom said, find a new doctor. You've been with this doctor long enough that you should be able to let her know you SOMETIMES feel she is "rushing" your exams and it makes you uncomfortable. If she reacts in a hostile or negative way, I would leave her practice immediately. Doctors are human. They make mistakes just like the rest of us, and they do NOT belong on pedestals.  (Most of me wrote this as a regular patient, but part of me wrote this as a retired nurse)        

[specialmom]

My doctor does this a bit too.  I assume it is because I'm of a healthy weight, my lab work has no red flags and I generally don' present a big risk of something major.  So many physicals now are required by insurance companies (I have to have mine or we are fined 500 dollars--  well, I should say our insurance is 500 dollars more a year).  I would guess your doctor asks the right questions to uncover things?  What I do is go with my list of concerns.  Like I feel like my heart beats too fast sometimes, I get headaches, my knee hurts after heavy use or whatever.  But if you feel her clinical skills are lacking, that's the most important thing with a doctor.  I'd switch doctors rather than sending anonymous notes.  good luck

[RDC77]

After further research, it appears you may be onto something. There seems to be a difference between a "Well Exam" and a comprehensive exam. Since I am in generally good health and don't have any particular complaints, she just does a Well Exam, even though it's coded as a CPE (Complete Physical Exam). Thanks for responding.