Pet Peeve

[Leelee2]

Went to doctor today, got to the registration desk (not at all private, one long desk with multiple staff sitting behind it, and other patients also standing there) Then she says "Are you still at *gives my address*, your phone number is *states my phone number", etc. Annoying. I would really like to have my right to privacy begin at the registration desk! Seriously, can't they just say "Has your address or phone number changed since your last visit?" My husband works a profession where it is necessary for us to keep our phone number/address, etc private. Then we are walking down the hallway "What are we seeing you for today?" Not exactly appropriate conversation in the Hall...I am irritated.

What is your Pet Peeve, as a Patient?

[mmm cdiff]

On the subject of semiprivate vs private rooms... I've sat for patients on suicide observation who were in semiprivate rooms (in fact, I've never sat for one who was in a private room...). The psychiatrist comes in to talk to them, and the other patient in the room gets to hear everything! I understand that there isn't really any way around it, but it's still very private information being shared with a stranger.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I have seen it done in my clinic...shouting out the weight of obese people. Do you REALLY think that patient wants everyone in sight to know they are 400lbs? Even though I am not overweight, it cringes me when I see it happen. And, when I see it happening at my own place of work, I immediately tell the aide this is inappropriate.

[vanursegrad]

The Medical Assistant at my Dr's office also referred to herself as the nurse. Her nametag clearly stated MA. I don't appreciate someone who hasn't gone through the years of arduous work and studying, and the NCLEX calling themselves nurse.

Another issue with the Dr's office I go to: I was late for an appointment one time and the "nurse" hassled me, and the Dr hassled me too. I told them both that for the amount of time I am not seen at the exact moment of my appointment I can be a few minutes late. I also told the doctor if she wants to hassle her staff about punctuality then do so, but I am not staff I am a patient and if I'm too late to be seen then make me reschedule and charge me the cancellation fee, but don't walk in to the exam room looking at your watch all annoyed and sigh loudly and ask me why I'm so late. That isn't very good for the patient dr relationship and trust.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

I will never wait more than one hour for my doc. At the end of one hour I leave, go to the "check out" and tell them why and reschedule.

My doc office had the nerve to try to bill me for a copay for my first walk out... I sent every single regulatory agency on their orifice, and called my private insurance and announced the fraud.

I called the office manager back, after she refused to waive my copay, and let her know what I've done. I no longer wait more than 15 minutes.

I tried to leave one time (I had somewhere to be and had waited 1.5 hours) and they immediately took me back and the doctor saw me within another five minutes. I will wait a little longer than an hour, but I'm gonna get my paper panties in a twist when it's coming up on two hours and I haven't seen anyone. Esp. back when they would let drug reps go back when there were patients in the waiting room an hour past their appointments.

[RPN_2012]

eh, i'll wait for my doc as long as i need to, because i know that when it's my turn, he'll sit down and listen to me. sometimes that means i read a few chapters of a book before i see him, but he'll spend 45 minutes with me if needed. i find that kind of compassion worth the wait.

45mins???????????? wow! lucky you! i don't think my dr. ever spent more than 5 minutes with me! ok, maybe a little over 5mins, but only a couple of times in the last 15 years! and i have to wait a while every single time i go. the only thing i like though is that if i have to see her, i can drop by without app. she'll make me wait for an hour, but she'll see me (for a couple of mins)

[nebrgirl]

Really I get the need to get some sense of "how long should this appt. be scheduled for....but it drives me crazy to try and explain to a receptionist (no medical training) what I need to see the Dr. for. Yes sometimes it's simple "med refill..." but sometimes it's a chunk of symptoms that may or may not be related..and it's not just not their place to judge.

[Flo., BSN, RN]

oh that reminds me, I hate when you are making an appt and the secretary wants to know what for. And then when you get there, the MA wants to know what for. It gets me soo annoyed everytime.

[dragonflyaltoids]

Ugh, I know I need to but I hate explaining why I want to see the doctor, BECAUSE--1. I held my pee at work for 13 hours yesterday and now I can't go--at all 2. I had a really bad day and I'm scared I'm headed for a nervous breakdown no, I don't need antidepressants- besides they take 6 weeks to work I want something that works NOW 3. I think my prescription for migraines ran out and I feel one coming on with all this explaining. oh, you can't get me in today but I can see the NP? But I don't LIKE her! Oh just forget it, I'll go to the walk in, and get a massage!

[TDCHIM]

eh, i'll wait for my doc as long as i need to, because i know that when it's my turn, he'll sit down and listen to me. sometimes that means i read a few chapters of a book before i see him, but he'll spend 45 minutes with me if needed. i find that kind of compassion worth the wait.

i'm with you on this to a point. my pain management doc is very good about spending extra time with me when i need it. one of my first appointments there was over two hours long, just talking and chewing over complicated treatment options. i will never forget that visit - someone finally understood, knew the condition, and offered me real, cogent explanations and viable treatment options. i stumped out on my forearm crutches feeling lighter than a cirrus cloud. i will quite willingly wait up to two hours just for the sake of that experience alone. but once we get to two hours, i start having issues, and when we hit two and a half hours, i have to leave. it's not so much that i'm angry, but that the office is an hour away from my home, and my body can't take waiting in their miserable chairs and then two hours of driving as well.

my biggest doctor's office pet peeve is when they announce the amount of your account balance with them for the entire waiting room to hear and then look at you expectantly. our insurance company is awful, so we often run a balance, but sometimes the people at the front desk don't seem to realize that it's the insurance company that owes them, not me! i'm not a fan of looking like a deadbeat in front of a packed waiting room.

[sassy_squirrel]

Man, since when do medical receptionists need to know why you are coming to the doctor. If I ring up I just ask for an appointment, they don't need to know why and they never ask.

Also I have never had my details said out loud at the desk, they usually just ask if any of my details have changed. Eg "Have your details changed?" "Have you got a PO Box for my address?" "Yes" "That's the same"

But then I have been going to the same doctors surgery for almost my whole life and the receptionists know me by voice and sight.

The only time I've ever been asked why I am attending is at the ED by the Triage nurse at the front desk.

[scoochy]

I worked as a pharmacy tech for many, many years and it is a BIG no-no to say the patient's medication out loud. How violating!

I know the last time I was at my OB's office, they have mammogram scheduling at a desk right next to where you check out. The person working there asked a woman "do you have breast implants?" and I was standing behind her in line. I thought that was so inappropriate. What if she did have them and didn't want the whole world knowing? Just my

I wonder what the person scheduling the mammogram would have answered if the person answered her question with the question: "Do you?"