Right after posting a blog about "how we should all stop complaining", I am going back on my own commitment.
I will have to bitch about the medical administration in general. So, far I have talked about the doctors, the nursing staff etc. However, there are many back end staff who are equally responsible for making patient experience (good or bad).
And some young doctors who you have to bump in to during this experience too.
I will narrate some of my experiences -
I had a consultation with the maxillo-facial surgeon in a very posh looking private hospital. After I met him, I came to the front desk and asked, "how much do I have to pay" ?
She said, a figure which I paid and came home (45 mins of drive). And after I got home, I got a very angry woman call - " I ve not paid money for certain syringe and gauge that was used in a small procedure".
I was really pissed by that call. I asked them, "How much do I owe ? Should not they tell me a complete amount with all line items ? Are they giving me the angry call, because their pharmacy and nursing and front desk billing co-ordination is week ? I am supposed to do that ? "
Second incident - The big hospital that administers Chemo, has a dental wing in another building.
My surgeon wanted me to stop by for 5 mins in dental wing, as I was waiting for discharge after the chemo was over. I requested the sister if I could walk out, meet him for 5 mins and come back, while paper work is taking place. She is NOT supposed to let go patients out of the ward, if not discharged, in this case, the insurance folks did not clear the billing yet, although all other formalities were done.
I smooth talked her out. Then I was caught by the security guard. Smooth talked him out. Then a doctor came along. And said, its against protocol to let you go out, without a wheel chair and an attendant. I told, I am feeling extremely fit, and can walk. Why should I get on a wheel chair ? I told him, if he is thinking I am running away before billing is settled, then please be clear about it. He did not say anything and let me go to dental wing.
After 3-5 mins, I see a nurse from chemo ward running to the dental wing, almost in tears, finding me. The same doctor who let me know, has called this poor nurse and blasted her for not following the protocol. While he himself could have been stern, when he caught me and told - "I can not allow this" Simple. He lets me go, but take advantage of office hierarchy to blast the poor young woman.
That definitely ticked me off. And I went berserk over that doctor giving him all sorts of gyan. I noticed one thing, they have 15 mins to listen through your abuse but too busy to spend 5 mins in doing the right thing in the first place.
Then comes the upper tier of inefficiency.
My Radiation Therapist, looking at all teh reports, kept saying 33 sittings of radiation, and once a week chemo. He mentioned this whole thing as a "Package". More like the travel agents do. A package.
Ok. I asked what if CT Scan is super clean ? Will it become 25 radiations, will the chemo reduce. The answer is "its a package and we will get pre-approval for the entire treatment from your insurance, do not worry".
Point is lost - Insurance approval was my last worry ! My worry was lack of information and logic of my treatment. Then he sends me to the "chemo" doctor, saying - "I know what he will tell you, but he is sitting there just to talk about chemo. So you better go and talk to him".
What a way to refer. What confidence builder ??
The "chemo" doctor, is absolute mess. He says, you ll have to go through "Cisplatin Single Agent".
I asked "why?". He said, as the lymphomas were touched.
I asked, 3 out of 45 were touched. CT Scan says, all the metahistais is also cut during surgery.
What would have been the dosage and frequency had the count been 10 out of 45 ?
Can you imagine the answer ? "Its a package" !! No logic, explanation what so over.
Any way, I went on with the treatment. My wife, my brother - all looking at my like I am a nut case, trying to demand unreasonable information from doctors.
The the most irritating thing happened. The package that radiation oncologist talked about was not the package chemo guy talked about. As a result, I got thoroughly confused and assumed its all ONE package. And got the insurance pre-approval. Even when I went to chemo treatment, they happily medicated me. Only when it was over, i wanted to be discharged, they mentioned chemo is separate approval, which is not even initiated. Whoa !! 5 hrs of waiting to be discharged.
And while being discharged I see 3 different tablets being prescribed for 5 days -
1. One of them is potent habit-forming anti-anxiety anti-depressant drug. I asked why do I have to take this ? Nurse answers to able able to sleep during night. What if I do not have anxiety about Chemo ? why should I take such potent anti-depressants ? Its "protocol" for every Chemo cases.
2. A very high powerful steroidal anti-inflammatory. During the consultation, I did not recall any one telling me that some part of body will swell up after chemo. Why ? Part of the protocol ? No one is there to explain !
I will have to bitch about the medical administration in general. So, far I have talked about the doctors, the nursing staff etc. However, there are many back end staff who are equally responsible for making patient experience (good or bad).
And some young doctors who you have to bump in to during this experience too.
I will narrate some of my experiences -
I had a consultation with the maxillo-facial surgeon in a very posh looking private hospital. After I met him, I came to the front desk and asked, "how much do I have to pay" ?
She said, a figure which I paid and came home (45 mins of drive). And after I got home, I got a very angry woman call - " I ve not paid money for certain syringe and gauge that was used in a small procedure".
I was really pissed by that call. I asked them, "How much do I owe ? Should not they tell me a complete amount with all line items ? Are they giving me the angry call, because their pharmacy and nursing and front desk billing co-ordination is week ? I am supposed to do that ? "
Second incident - The big hospital that administers Chemo, has a dental wing in another building.
My surgeon wanted me to stop by for 5 mins in dental wing, as I was waiting for discharge after the chemo was over. I requested the sister if I could walk out, meet him for 5 mins and come back, while paper work is taking place. She is NOT supposed to let go patients out of the ward, if not discharged, in this case, the insurance folks did not clear the billing yet, although all other formalities were done.
I smooth talked her out. Then I was caught by the security guard. Smooth talked him out. Then a doctor came along. And said, its against protocol to let you go out, without a wheel chair and an attendant. I told, I am feeling extremely fit, and can walk. Why should I get on a wheel chair ? I told him, if he is thinking I am running away before billing is settled, then please be clear about it. He did not say anything and let me go to dental wing.
After 3-5 mins, I see a nurse from chemo ward running to the dental wing, almost in tears, finding me. The same doctor who let me know, has called this poor nurse and blasted her for not following the protocol. While he himself could have been stern, when he caught me and told - "I can not allow this" Simple. He lets me go, but take advantage of office hierarchy to blast the poor young woman.
That definitely ticked me off. And I went berserk over that doctor giving him all sorts of gyan. I noticed one thing, they have 15 mins to listen through your abuse but too busy to spend 5 mins in doing the right thing in the first place.
Then comes the upper tier of inefficiency.
My Radiation Therapist, looking at all teh reports, kept saying 33 sittings of radiation, and once a week chemo. He mentioned this whole thing as a "Package". More like the travel agents do. A package.
Ok. I asked what if CT Scan is super clean ? Will it become 25 radiations, will the chemo reduce. The answer is "its a package and we will get pre-approval for the entire treatment from your insurance, do not worry".
Point is lost - Insurance approval was my last worry ! My worry was lack of information and logic of my treatment. Then he sends me to the "chemo" doctor, saying - "I know what he will tell you, but he is sitting there just to talk about chemo. So you better go and talk to him".
What a way to refer. What confidence builder ??
The "chemo" doctor, is absolute mess. He says, you ll have to go through "Cisplatin Single Agent".
I asked "why?". He said, as the lymphomas were touched.
I asked, 3 out of 45 were touched. CT Scan says, all the metahistais is also cut during surgery.
What would have been the dosage and frequency had the count been 10 out of 45 ?
Can you imagine the answer ? "Its a package" !! No logic, explanation what so over.
Any way, I went on with the treatment. My wife, my brother - all looking at my like I am a nut case, trying to demand unreasonable information from doctors.
The the most irritating thing happened. The package that radiation oncologist talked about was not the package chemo guy talked about. As a result, I got thoroughly confused and assumed its all ONE package. And got the insurance pre-approval. Even when I went to chemo treatment, they happily medicated me. Only when it was over, i wanted to be discharged, they mentioned chemo is separate approval, which is not even initiated. Whoa !! 5 hrs of waiting to be discharged.
And while being discharged I see 3 different tablets being prescribed for 5 days -
1. One of them is potent habit-forming anti-anxiety anti-depressant drug. I asked why do I have to take this ? Nurse answers to able able to sleep during night. What if I do not have anxiety about Chemo ? why should I take such potent anti-depressants ? Its "protocol" for every Chemo cases.
2. A very high powerful steroidal anti-inflammatory. During the consultation, I did not recall any one telling me that some part of body will swell up after chemo. Why ? Part of the protocol ? No one is there to explain !
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