Hi everyone
Im curious if recieving a phone call from your doctor about your health and any medication changes are a U.S. way of treating patients or pretty standard all over the world? I personally find this pratice awful and very impersonal considering your thyroid disease can create so many issues.
Thanks
The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.
I haven't yet come across that yet. However, as I know more than my GP, I doubt he would phone me.
I much prefer a face-to-face appointment otherwise you don't know who the blazes you are really talking too. Probably a robot as sometimes the responses we get are non-commital or nonsense. 
At the moment I am having just phone and email contact with my doctor who I have never seen but has done more than any other doctor.
But I was accepted as a patient as I had been examined by other doctors, had blood tests documented and could provide information my previous doctor fortunately had wrote down describing my condition and her observations of me.
This works for me and has to be this way as the doctor is so far away but one of those very few practices in Finland dealing with fatigue.
I have very good relationship with my doctor and he is awesome, he is funny and very easy going. But it wouldn't probably work in situation where one would have serious illness requiring more closer monitoring. Or it could be just me , finding easy to talk with my doctor and don't mind not having face-to-face appointment but it could also be that this is combo of me being me and my doctor being him, we just click.
Eventually I want to see them at least to thank them personally for helping me. Hopefully eventually thanking them for curing me.
Forgot to day that over here in Finland it's common to get a phone consultation and in some cases because of distance it's far easier but that's only if you prefer it.
Chat session or Skype sessions are also getting more common because of distances. Sad for those who would rather have face to face appointment but it's better than nothing when the specialist is half country away from you.
In simple cases it's also less stressful for the system when you can show small injuries like burn mark or rash on webcam instead rushing into crowded hospital.
As far as I know, it's not common in France. I don't think it happens at all at GP level. But, I did have telephone consultations with a hormone specialist, but that was a special case. And, there was one endo that was always saying : when you get your results, call me. But his secretary would never put me through to him! So, that never got off the ground! lol
I’m in the UK and I’ve had 3 recent consultations by telephone. These have mainly been to discuss results and next steps (usually to arrange more blood tests).
Two of my GPS have used phone calls but only where appropriate to my condition. I found it quick easy and very helpful. I had met them both before in their surgeries. Both were excellent GP’s. I think phone use can be very helpful and actually more personal than just making the patient do the leg work. Like any tool it depends on it being used sensibly.
In fact one of these calls Was a life saver. I thank my GP for taking the time and bother to call me to ensure I got my medication asap. Otherwise I would not have known how serious it was and could have left getting them till it was too late - it was a close run thing as it was.
I guess that's one way to look at medical care via the telephone or email and it works for some people who like that quick here's your new medication and make sure you retest in 6- 8 weeks. I say go for it.
For me personally I'm not a fan of the phone call or Email doctoring it's too easy for them and you to glaze over any issues you might be having or releases them from facing you in person to better explain why they decided your meds needed changing or why they feel your going to get heart disease or crumbling bones. It's easy to dismiss over the phone but in person they are held to a higher standard.
Neither of my GPs used the phone in that way and would see me in person if that was the best option - never to slyly reduce meds or anything sneaky of that type - more to assess next moves or as an emergency message as the quickest way to contact me. As I say used appropriately. I would not be happy for the blower to be used in ways you mention although I am probably more assertive on the phone than face to face oddly so could prove a tricky customer!
Your lucky it has happened to me way to often and being hearing impaired just adds to my flustration.
It is crazy they call you if you have hearing impairment - you should let them know you do not want any calls - surely you can choose how they contact you. I can quite understand why you are not a fan of telephone doctoring. I’d call it an inappropriate communication method in your case. Are you covered under the disabilities act to force them to stop calling you?
They know I'm hearing impaired and I voice my concerns but that's not a deterrent for them. I wouldn't mind the phone calls so much but my biggest issues is it takes me longer to answer questions or ask, I have to think about what's being said before I can answer.
You wouldn't believe half of the nonsense I go through with my health care and everyday life.
I'm in the UK and my old surgery would offer telephone consultations if they had no book on the day appointments left. They kind of used it as a triage service and if they needed to see you would squeeze you in.
If there was nothing to see or physically examine (like a sore throat or rash) then they would do the prescription there and then.
I found it more convenient when I didn't have anything for them to examine and would request them myself. Meant i didn't have to take time off work etc.
My new surgery doesn't allow it. Which I find really frustrating. Like recently I got a private cortisol blood test and just wanted to check the slightly raised result was normal. Phone call would have been perfect. But I had to take the result in, trust the receptionist to scan it on to my file and ask the gp to look at it. I haven't heard anything so I'm assuming all is OK but I've no idea if it was even looked at really.
They don't even let patients order repeat prescriptions over the phone anymore. But if I phone the pharmacy to ask them to order it by phone that's fine. Crazy.
But I completely understand if it's an initial assessment and you've neveret before or like you are hard of hearing then it absolutely should not be forced on you and as a health care professional it's something we wouldn't be allowed to do in our service.
Do you have the equivalent of a patient advice and liason service (PALS)? There should be someone who can advocate for you on this if you wanted x
Absolutely agree with you. I can't get a face to face appointment as they are always booked up and it is so impersonal over the phone and find that I don't explain the symptoms and how I feel very well. It seems to be common practice in our area😏
When you see a user name of Hidden, it means that the person is no longer a member of this forum.
We often close posts that were originated by members who have now left. Occasionally, the thread might still be active and popular and will be left. More often, it is simply a case of none of the admins noticing!
There is no point in wasting our time making replies which will not be seen by the former member.
Sometimes the information in the thread is out-of-date.
Mostly, members will not even see any replies that are made (unless it happens to be noticed in the news feed).
I shall now be closing this post to replies.
If you wish to call any new post to the attention of another member, such as someone on the old thread, you can follow this Help topic:
support.healthunlocked.com/...
We recommend that you write a brand new post to ask your question or post your information.
The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.
Medical negligence ?
Medical Note Charges
Nurse phone call update
Help accessing medical records
