Is the doctor ever in the house anymore?

Lately, when I contact a doctor’s office, I feel as if I am being “slapped in the face.”

I grew up in a time, not that long ago, when I would call a doctor’s office and speak with someone who was actually working in the same office as my doctor. The receptionist might even remember who I was. If I was sick, I would see my doctor later that day or certainly the next. If any medical tests were done, I would receive a phone call from my doctor and we would discuss the results. I felt confident that my doctor had my best interests at heart and was “on my team,” looking out for my well-being.

These days, when I call my doctor, the person answering the phone is actually miles away from that office. A “call center” employee answers the phone. I have to disclose my birth date and address in order for the person to identify who I am. Then I have to name the doctor I am hoping to get an appointment with.

On one recent day, I was feeling unwell. I called to make an appointment to see my doctor. The receptionist offered me an appointment one week later. But I was sick that day! There is definitely something wrong with this “new system” of patient care. 

The companies that are managing doctors’ practices have determined that if I need to see a doctor the day I call, I should go to an urgent care center. And I will definitely be able to see a physician. The urgent care doctor can look at my health records online to “get to know me.” The problem is that I, or any other person, am more than just the records in the computer. If any tests are performed, I will get an email with my test results before I hear back from a physician. So, I will likely search on Google to try to figure out what the test results mean, and worry until I hear back from the doctor. Medicine and medical care need to do better than this!

I began thinking about people who collect cars or own vintage musical instruments. Owners of these treasured items often find a technician they can work with over years, someone who will get to know the car or instrument and can “fine tune” it and keep it in good working order. Don’t people deserve the same kind of treatment? The corporations that have taken over our medical system seem to have forgotten, or choose to ignore, the value of professional/personal relationships.