Tweet
This week is our Comedy of (Medical) errors week so far.
Monday we were at the Cancer Center, I had 3 appointments that were 30 minutes apart.
When I walked in the door, a woman keeled over while trying to get her medical card out of her purse. An emergency crew checked her, put her in a wheelchair and took her for examination and treatment. Not a good sign for the day.
First was the labs. I’d been waiting over 30 minutes. I got odd looks from the many people sitting there when I walked into the lab and asked about the holdup. As usual they were behind schedule. But SOMEBODY needed to say something, so I did. One tech said I’m on the computer list, so they will call me when my name comes up.
I told them how long I waited, how long ago I should have been called, and that my first doctor’s appointment was in less than 20 minutes; so should I wait, or go directly to his “pavilion”? So I no sooner walked out, then they called me in. Then they couldn’t find my lab request on the computer. The nurse looked up my name and finally made a guess at the lab draws I needed. They made the port blood draw.
Then I went to the pavilion, a bit late, but the doctor was running late, so the nurse took me right back to the exam room. I’m doing good, the Cancer wasn’t coming back. And he wrote orders for my MRI and a return visit in 3 months.
So then it’s back to the pavillion’s front desk to get my paperwork and appointments in order. By now I’m late for the next doctor appointment. E spoke with the nurse, someone else was put in my appt and I would follow for the next appt.
Finally that got done, my NP and discussed my new med and side effects. I’ve put on 10 lbs since Easter, one of the expected side effects. It was doing its job, but we needed to let me have a smaller dose. She had to go to the lab in person during our appt because my lab work never got posted to my records. I don’t know what the problem was, but she gave me an appointment for labs and office visit in 4 weeks. She called in my new prescription requirements, including an extra month of pills as we will be out of state when I’d run out.
So I got that appointments paperwork done afterwards.
Now this morning, it’s Tuesday, we both did have appointments with our PCP du jour, an NP we hadn’t met. It wasn’t clear to her why we were there. I told her that my PCP covered anything that my oncologist and other major doctors didn’t cover, what my current problems were, and asked about getting PT authorization. Then E got his side in. She gave us a cursory checkup. Then E had blood drawn, and I had to give a urine sample. She didn’t give us a followup date to come in. We may look for a new clinic.
It continues today, I had gotten a call to get my new prescription at the hospital pharmacy. The pharmacy tech rang up my purchase, and screwed it up. The supervisor had to straighten out the register and redo it. But the doc forgot to mention the need for double the pills. So I got just 1 month’s supply, but can return tomorrow for the 2nd month’s supply which would come in then.
The comedy of errors isn’t so funny, is it? It can probably cause patients to develop tension, frustration, depression, anxiety, and who knows what else.
I still have 1 or 2 more medical appointments this month.
Monday we were at the Cancer Center, I had 3 appointments that were 30 minutes apart.
When I walked in the door, a woman keeled over while trying to get her medical card out of her purse. An emergency crew checked her, put her in a wheelchair and took her for examination and treatment. Not a good sign for the day.
First was the labs. I’d been waiting over 30 minutes. I got odd looks from the many people sitting there when I walked into the lab and asked about the holdup. As usual they were behind schedule. But SOMEBODY needed to say something, so I did. One tech said I’m on the computer list, so they will call me when my name comes up.
I told them how long I waited, how long ago I should have been called, and that my first doctor’s appointment was in less than 20 minutes; so should I wait, or go directly to his “pavilion”? So I no sooner walked out, then they called me in. Then they couldn’t find my lab request on the computer. The nurse looked up my name and finally made a guess at the lab draws I needed. They made the port blood draw.
Then I went to the pavilion, a bit late, but the doctor was running late, so the nurse took me right back to the exam room. I’m doing good, the Cancer wasn’t coming back. And he wrote orders for my MRI and a return visit in 3 months.
So then it’s back to the pavillion’s front desk to get my paperwork and appointments in order. By now I’m late for the next doctor appointment. E spoke with the nurse, someone else was put in my appt and I would follow for the next appt.
Finally that got done, my NP and discussed my new med and side effects. I’ve put on 10 lbs since Easter, one of the expected side effects. It was doing its job, but we needed to let me have a smaller dose. She had to go to the lab in person during our appt because my lab work never got posted to my records. I don’t know what the problem was, but she gave me an appointment for labs and office visit in 4 weeks. She called in my new prescription requirements, including an extra month of pills as we will be out of state when I’d run out.
So I got that appointments paperwork done afterwards.
Now this morning, it’s Tuesday, we both did have appointments with our PCP du jour, an NP we hadn’t met. It wasn’t clear to her why we were there. I told her that my PCP covered anything that my oncologist and other major doctors didn’t cover, what my current problems were, and asked about getting PT authorization. Then E got his side in. She gave us a cursory checkup. Then E had blood drawn, and I had to give a urine sample. She didn’t give us a followup date to come in. We may look for a new clinic.
It continues today, I had gotten a call to get my new prescription at the hospital pharmacy. The pharmacy tech rang up my purchase, and screwed it up. The supervisor had to straighten out the register and redo it. But the doc forgot to mention the need for double the pills. So I got just 1 month’s supply, but can return tomorrow for the 2nd month’s supply which would come in then.
The comedy of errors isn’t so funny, is it? It can probably cause patients to develop tension, frustration, depression, anxiety, and who knows what else.
I still have 1 or 2 more medical appointments this month.
Comment