speaking with your doctor over the phone?

Question

why do people think that when they call their doctors office the doctor has nothing else to do besides take phone calls from patients... like he doesnt have any other patients he sees

i forgot to mention i work for the 2nd largest private health system in the world and people call us to speak with the drs....and the nurses dont field calls they call people back

Answer 1

Because doctors dont know their own schedule or even how protocols work. Your doctor will tell you to make an appointment for next week, not realizing that he is booked thru september. Doctors also dont even realize half the time that the patient called. nurses will answer questions without even consulting with the doctor. that drives me insane, i understand that nurses usually know a lot but if i wanted a nurses opinion, i'd ask for it.

Answer 2

The doctor should not interrupt a patient visit unless it is an emergency. The receptionist should screen the calls, take messages and ensure the doctor returns the call promptly. It also depends upon the type of doctor. Some pediatricians will take a call if they are familiar with recent problems with a patient; same holds true for cardiac patients and those with recent surgeries.

Ask your doctor to limit telephone conversation to emergencies only when you are in the office.

Answer 3

Ummm my doctor has a half hour surgery on the phone every morning! Makes life a lot easier for patients sometimes!

Answer 4

You don't get to talk to the doc, When you call you ask to speak to his nurse and she relays the message to the doc and he tells her what he wants you do and the nurse calls you back with this information.

Answer 5

You can call and talk to a nurse and get most questions answered. That is part of their job.

Answer 6

I'm sure patients don't call just to pass the time of day.