Discussion»Questions»Health and Wellness» Have you had a phone consultation witha doctor rather than an office visit? There is a shortage of doctors and so things are changing. Why?
Have you had a phone consultation witha doctor rather than an office visit? There is a shortage of doctors and so things are changing. Why?
Imagine a world with no doctors? Is it that there are so many more people now that doctoring can't keep up with the population growth or that people aren't choosing to get into medical careers?
Nah. Many more people also means many more pupils available for medical schools to teach. If there is a trend of less and less MDs in the US it will be because of something else, probably many things else ;-))
One likely reason would be the shrinking middle class. It takes fairly well-off parents to send their child through Medical school. The really rich and the really poor rarely manage to do it.
I have Kaiser insurance JakobA. I'm also a 2008 cancer survivor. I used to see my oncologist yearly after getting blood tests and an xray for her review. Last year I got the bloodtests and xray and she called me after she had reviewed them and said everything was fine. That was a phone consultation which I thought was a one-time thing. She also said that she would see me "next year" for an office visit. Which would be this year. You can imagine my surprise when I got a call yesterday telling me that I was being set up for a phone consultation SATURDAY at 3:40 pm if convenient for me. It is convenient so that's when I will talk to her. Today I go in for the blood tests and xray. When I asked the nurse WHY I was told the same thing I was told last year. A doctor shortage is causing doctors to do double duty, work on weekends! Now that scares me! When I had a Meningus tear in my right knee (a diagnosis I got over the phone from my GP) he asked me to describe what happened and told me what to do! I'm just wondering if that is unique to Kaiser or is it going on elsewhere too? Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at June 13, 2017 6:15 AM MDT
I've had many phone consultations with my Doctor at Kaiser and I think it's a good idea because he can just send a prescription over to the pharmacy and I don't have to go there and see him for something he's been treating for years with me anyway. I think JakobA hit the nail on the head as that seems like the best reasons for less regular MDs around now. Although this doesn't seem to affect Kaiser Doctors much as there is always one around to take care of you if yours isn't available and mine takes a lot of vacations. I see more and more of these primary care clinics popping up all over and maybe that's the answer for most. Kaiser isn't the best out there but they've always treated me well and I have no complaints. I was on Mercy Health Care for a while and hated it as they sent me all over the place to see specialists instead of just a regular visit. I think your situation is unique to Kaiser but there may be a shortage in So. Cal for MDs but not up here in No. Cal.
My oncologist is located at Kaiser La Sierra in Riverside. We live in Hemet so that is 37.8 miles in one direction. The phone consultation will save us time, gas (round-trip drive of about 76 miles, and a co-pay of $20). Each year I need blood tests and an x-ray so that cost is the same. Whenver I had something important (an infected toe...need for a biopsies)..I get appointments immediately. So it's something new to get used to which actually benefits both sides. Thank you for your reply Rooster and Happy Wednesday! :)
JakobA the unAmerican. 