Ortho visit that has me steaming mad! What do you ... - Page 3

adelle38 · ‎03-09-2010

On 2/7/2015 pupwhipped said:
On 2/7/2015 ellaphant said:
While PAs are well trained, I wold not want a diagnosis given to me by a PA. Sorry, that's just me. A shot is one thing, but not the diagnosis.

I think this is the most intelligent response I have gotten thus far.

Thank you, ellaphant. I agree.

I'm sure the doctor reviewed your results with the PA. It's not as if the PA made the diagnosis on her own. Just because it's what you want to hear doesn't make it the most "intelligent response."

It's always a victory for me when I remember why I entered a room.

icezeus · ‎10-30-2010

I actually prefer PA's. They actually spend time with the patienc. They are well trained by the way and they work under a doctor. This is quite normal.

It was an injection. Not knee surgery.

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

On 2/7/2015 pupwhipped said:
On 2/7/2015 ellaphant said:
While PAs are well trained, I wold not want a diagnosis given to me by a PA. Sorry, that's just me. A shot is one thing, but not the diagnosis.

I think this is the most intelligent response I have gotten thus far.

Thank you, ellaphant. I agree.

Actually, members of a doctor's staff communicate routine test results and diagnoses in many offices! The doctor should talk with a patient if there is something serious or complex afoot, and in my experience the doctor always reviews and signs off on test results, etc. before they are communicated to the patient. But P.A.'s, nurse practitioners, nurses, and medical assistants in many offices call patients with routine lab results, test results, basic diagnoses, etc., and communicate the doctor's orders or advice, schedule follow-up procedures, etc. The nurse and I used to have time blocked off during every office day to make those kinds of phone calls to patients, often while the surgeon we worked for was in the operating room or making rounds in the hospital. He had already made the medical assessments and decisions, but the time consuming work of contacting and communicating with patients called for some help from his staff.

I think very few patients understand how many patients a doctor has to see in order to keep his business solvent in these days of lower and lower insurance reimbursements to physicians, or how much time is spent making and returning phone calls, talking with patients, answering questions, etc. The doctor simply can't do it all......can't personally see the patient on every routine office visit or personally make every phone call, can't play "phone tag" with patients for hours or days on end. And that's where the "physician extender" comes in.

Toppers · ‎01-01-2015

Pupwhipped, this is the way that it is where I live in my area too, in some of the practices that I have been to.

You don't always get to see the doctor, especially if you need to been seen rather sooner than later. You will end up seeing an NP. I don't have a problem with that.

I have always liked the NPs or the PAs that I have ended up seeing. They have always taken their time with me, and don't rush.

bluejeansluvr · ‎03-09-2010

I wouldn't be upset either. I don't see what the problem is.

PAs and Nurse practitioners are used frequently in doctor's offices. I wouldn't worry or be upset. I haven't seen my neurologist in about two years he's so swamped with patients. lol I usually see his very competent and very capable PA ""Jane"" who has a very impressive resume'. She is very capable and I really like her. She is the one I like the most but on occasion I see some of the other ones too but she is the only one that gives me injections. I refer to her as ""my doctor"".

IMO if that doctor didn't trust ""Marna"" she would never have been in that office giving you an injection.

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

This would not bother me at all. A PA is highly educated and knowledgeable.

sylviahomeatlast · ‎03-11-2010

I went to a specialist 2 years ago. I went for tests every two weeks for the entire summer. Something like 10 tests. I only saw the nurse practitioner, never the doctor. From now on, if I don't see a doctor every other time, I'm changing. I go to two other doctors who agree. But one said his wife has been treated that way

pupwhipped · ‎03-11-2010

On 2/7/2015 icezeus said:
I actually prefer PA's. They actually spend time with the patienc. They are well trained by the way and they work under a doctor. This is quite normal.

It was an injection. Not knee surgery.

Hmmmm, maybe this was part of the problem. The ortho spent a lot of time with me on the initial appointment. He was thorough, explained things well, and definitely took his time with me. I was impressed. The PA, who I assumed erroneously was a doc at the time, did not give me any of this.... I did not have a confident feeling about her when we were talking. And BTW, we discussed three options for my problem, cortisone shot, gel injections, and surgery. I opted for the least aggressive measure in my mind at the time.

I guess what I don't like is the bait and switch. I fully thought I would be seeing my ortho doctor to explain to me the results of my MRI. No one told me any different in advance. I would totally have been fine with his PA giving me the shot after consulting with him.

Thank you all for your perspectives. I appreciate it very much.

Colonel Meow · ‎05-25-2014

On 2/7/2015 pupwhipped said:
On 2/7/2015 ellaphant said:
While PAs are well trained, I wold not want a diagnosis given to me by a PA. Sorry, that's just me. A shot is one thing, but not the diagnosis.

I think this is the most intelligent response I have gotten thus far.

Thank you, ellaphant. I agree.

So, out of the multiple posters on this thread who have shared their experiences, she is the "most intelligent" simply because she is the only one who (thus far) shares your opinion?

Your OP specifically asked if anyone had had this experience, and you were given detailed responses from many other well-informed posters. Are we "unintelligent" because we don't understand your outrage?