Dear Editor:
First, let me acknowledge that there are kudos to be given to the hard-working, caring folk in the medical professions.
Now my lament. Recently I had the irritation of two trips out of town, to meet with medical folk who spent five minutes talking to the patient, never touched them, or examined them.
People are referred to specialists because those people are ill. Many are elderly, others have limited resources, both requiring the assistance of friends or family to make the one or two hour trip to the appointment. This requires gas, use of a vehicle, a time commitment, and in current times having to leave our COVID-safe homes and communities to go to the city, with more people, more traffic, more stress for all involved. In addition,a helper for the patient is not allowed in the facility.
In one instance the patient was simply handed a form to be completed by the referring physician; in the other they were told that “we will call you when we set up an appointment for some tests.”
So, doctor, what about this could not have been handled with a scheduled phone appointment? Do you need the extra billing rate of an in-office appointment so much that you put the comfort and care of the patient on the back burner?
I would imagine there are many, many people from our smaller communities that have had this experience. Please, tell all your friends to request a phone consultation if it is not absolutely necessary for the patient to attend at the office out of town.
A. Colley,
Harriston
