"Hiring" and "firing" doctors...
I've honestly known people who put more effort into hiring an excellent hair stylist than choosing their doctor. (Imagine me shaking my head here. That's the least of my reactions.) That, however, seems to be changing. More and more, we're asking questions about doctors before we make that first appointment. We're also asking our doctors more questions than before. Many doctors appreciate the educated patient. Studies have shown that educated patients are more compliant with their treatment regimens.2 Dr. William Young of the Jefferson Headache Center told me, "An educated patient is a better patient. I'd rather have a treatment partner than a dishrag." We need to do a bit of homework before making an appointment with a new doctor. Talk to friends, nurses you may know, your pharmacist. You can also call the doctor's office and ask about their office hours. If you have a certain day off work every week, it's good to find out in advance if the doctor has office hours that day. Once at that first appointment, there are questions we can ask to help us know if the doctor and the rules and routines of his or her practice match up with our needs. Here are some questions to ask a new doctor:
- If it's a group practice or clinic: "Will you be the doctor I see at every appointment?"
- "I know I need to take responsibility for taking care of myself. Will you work with me as a treatment partner, with the two of us as a team?
- How do you feel about patients who ask questions?
- What do you have your patients do if they need help after hours or on weekends?
- When you're on vacation, does someone cover your practice?
If you have to "fire" a doctor, don't let it become personal. You don't have to say anything at all to the doctor. You can just go to a new doctor and ask them to get your medical records transferred. If you do want to say something to the doctor, it can be something as simple as, "This just isn't working out well. Thank you for your time." If you leave a doctor, and you want a copy of your records, you should know that a federal law requires that a copy be provided to you within 30 days of your written request. Most offices have a release form they will want you to fill out and sign. They may charge you a "reasonable" fee for the copies. If you are told that they cannot be released to you, ask whomever tells you that to please refer to HIPAA (The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act).
