I haven’t had a real physical exam from any doctor, save the first one I saw who retired soon after I saw him, since I moved to New Mexico eight years ago. In Michigan, where I lived for 23 years prior, my doctor did a basic exam of at least listening to my heart, my lungs, and checking my reflexes, every time I went in to see her, regardless of why I was there. I do feel that I’m doctored by data now. Blood and urine tests are ordered, mammogram and colonoscopy reminders are made, vaccines are checked to see if up to date, a referral for a cardiology checkup is always submitted although I’m told to find the cardiologist…and I always choose an electrophysiologist as my only heart issues have pertained to heart rhythms and I’m educated about that from my time in Michigan. I’m then instructed to go to Urgent care for anything that comes up until next year’s “physical” or wellness exam.
I had a hip replacement a year ago (miracle surgery) but in trying to make haste like a 20 year old down our flagstone steps in our backyard, stumbled, fell downward hard, hit my new hip on the edge of a flagstone step, and although my hip x-rayed as fine, implant was fine, when two weeks later I was in more pain than when it happened, saw a PCP standing in for my doc for a suggestion of who I should see, what I should do, got a young woman doctor who examined me, listened to me, and sent me to get x-rays of my pelvis that day. I had fractured my pelvis: left superior pubic ramus. She immediately sent the x-ray to the orthopedic surgeon on call, he sent me for a CT scan which showed a fracture of left superior AND inferior pubic rami and a fracture of the left sacrum; probable fracture of the right sacrum. Saw orthopedist at week 5. Closed fracture with routine healing was his interpretation of the six x-rays they took that day. I will see him at week 11. I’m healing but it’s slow. I tried to see if I could drive here at the end of week 7 since I am now walking easily with a cane but I didn’t even make it out of the garage without pain, pushing on the brake and accelerator, so my husband will take me to the dentist tomorrow to reseat a crown that I flossed out. I say all this because I’ve seen such a change in medicine through the years (I’m 73.) From a family doctor who made house calls and set my broken ankle when I was pregnant, delivered my baby, inserted and later took out an IUD, gave me an adjustment during every visit (he was an OD who became an MD later on)…to being seen by a variety of doctors, specialists, more diagnostic tests than you can shake a stick at, and hurried, distracted visits with doctors who put things in my chart that we never discussed but that I’m sure have to be ticked off on the EMR in order to get paid. If I lived in a state that had a decent supply of doctors (which may be becoming rare everywhere) I would opt for one of those concierge doctors and pay out of pocket for care. I think, anyways. If I knew that I could get care when I needed it from a doctor who had time to get to know me and spend time with me, it would be worth it. But that’s because I can afford it. It’s not how I would wish to spend my hard saved retirement dollars but as one ages, health means everything that makes life worth living.
I have no problem having telemedicine appointments once a doctor knows me, or to get a specialist’s opinion if he/she has been given all the particulars. The doctor I had before my new one (he left NM) was only doing telemedicine appointments with me for his last two years here. Since he never touched me or looked at me when I had office visits, it wasn’t any different. He doctored by data also.
I subscribe to you in part because you remind me of the doctor I grew up with. I think that your patients are very lucky.
I haven’t had a real physical exam from any doctor, save the first one I saw who retired soon after I saw him, since I moved to New Mexico eight years ago. In Michigan, where I lived for 23 years prior, my doctor did a basic exam of at least listening to my heart, my lungs, and checking my reflexes, every time I went in to see her, regardless of why I was there. I do feel that I’m doctored by data now. Blood and urine tests are ordered, mammogram and colonoscopy reminders are made, vaccines are checked to see if up to date, a referral for a cardiology checkup is always submitted although I’m told to find the cardiologist…and I always choose an electrophysiologist as my only heart issues have pertained to heart rhythms and I’m educated about that from my time in Michigan. I’m then instructed to go to Urgent care for anything that comes up until next year’s “physical” or wellness exam.
I had a hip replacement a year ago (miracle surgery) but in trying to make haste like a 20 year old down our flagstone steps in our backyard, stumbled, fell downward hard, hit my new hip on the edge of a flagstone step, and although my hip x-rayed as fine, implant was fine, when two weeks later I was in more pain than when it happened, saw a PCP standing in for my doc for a suggestion of who I should see, what I should do, got a young woman doctor who examined me, listened to me, and sent me to get x-rays of my pelvis that day. I had fractured my pelvis: left superior pubic ramus. She immediately sent the x-ray to the orthopedic surgeon on call, he sent me for a CT scan which showed a fracture of left superior AND inferior pubic rami and a fracture of the left sacrum; probable fracture of the right sacrum. Saw orthopedist at week 5. Closed fracture with routine healing was his interpretation of the six x-rays they took that day. I will see him at week 11. I’m healing but it’s slow. I tried to see if I could drive here at the end of week 7 since I am now walking easily with a cane but I didn’t even make it out of the garage without pain, pushing on the brake and accelerator, so my husband will take me to the dentist tomorrow to reseat a crown that I flossed out. I say all this because I’ve seen such a change in medicine through the years (I’m 73.) From a family doctor who made house calls and set my broken ankle when I was pregnant, delivered my baby, inserted and later took out an IUD, gave me an adjustment during every visit (he was an OD who became an MD later on)…to being seen by a variety of doctors, specialists, more diagnostic tests than you can shake a stick at, and hurried, distracted visits with doctors who put things in my chart that we never discussed but that I’m sure have to be ticked off on the EMR in order to get paid. If I lived in a state that had a decent supply of doctors (which may be becoming rare everywhere) I would opt for one of those concierge doctors and pay out of pocket for care. I think, anyways. If I knew that I could get care when I needed it from a doctor who had time to get to know me and spend time with me, it would be worth it. But that’s because I can afford it. It’s not how I would wish to spend my hard saved retirement dollars but as one ages, health means everything that makes life worth living.
I have no problem having telemedicine appointments once a doctor knows me, or to get a specialist’s opinion if he/she has been given all the particulars. The doctor I had before my new one (he left NM) was only doing telemedicine appointments with me for his last two years here. Since he never touched me or looked at me when I had office visits, it wasn’t any different. He doctored by data also.
I subscribe to you in part because you remind me of the doctor I grew up with. I think that your patients are very lucky.