What do you think about having to make a second appointment at the doctor?

Asked by JLeslie (65447) November 5th, 2015 from iPhone

A doctor friend of mine, who is an orthopedic surgeon, was complaining that a woman he did knee surgery for brought up a back problem during her surgery follow up appointment. He said to me she needs a separate appointment for that, because she was there for surgery follow up. Can you see the doctor’s side? That it disrupts his scheduling and puts him behind to address issues he didn’t plan on? Do you perceive it as the doctor just wanting more money for an additional appointment? Does it piss you off as a patient that you are in the doctor’s office and can’t talk about all that ails you?

What about treatment? What if a doctor finds something wrong, but you have to come back to the office on another day for treatment? Is that ok? Understandable? Or, annoying?

How about going back to the office for lab results? The law changed in America this year and we can get lab results directly from the lab. Thank goodness! So, I assume over time fewer and fewer doctors will make patients come in for results as patients catch on. There is still reason to see a doctor for lab results, if the results are bad, or for a new health situation, and the doctor needs to discuss treatment, or do treatment. I don’t think a patient should have to go back to their GP for a cancer diagnosis if the patient will have to see an oncologist anyway. If I felt my GP was really on top of my health situation, really knew me, and really coordinated my care, then I wouldn’t mind paying for an “extra” appointment. I haven’t had that situation in a long time.