Apparently, there is a new Dr protocol for appointments I was somehow blissfully unaware of until recently.  As this is the 21st Century, I’ll put it in terms our kids would understand.  It’s Doctor Protocol 3.0.  It’s the operating system for doctors of the information age…or should I say non information age.  It’s where you make an appointment because you have several chronic illness issues that have gone untreated for a month or six or 12 and they make you an appointment. BUT when you come in, you are told the doctor can only address one concern per visit.

I say 3.0 because there was an updated protocol many years back where doctors were not inclined to treat you as a whole person but as a collection of symptoms they addressed with whatever conventional medical training de jour teaches even if they know darn good and well it won’t work for you.  So this is the new and improved Doctor Protocol 3.0.

I shared my new found disgruntledness with several peri people on Facebook a few weeks ago and was regaled with some important information I was apparently missing pre enlightenment.  I now enlighten you in case you had any delusions of grandeur.

I went to my GP a few months ago mainly, but not entirely, due to frozen shoulder. It had been extremely painful for six months and I hadn’t had insurance til then. Lost it a yr ago when my dh lost his job. She would only address that one issue saying she didn’t have time to blah blah blah….  After some phys therapy, it felt much better, but I still had several chronic issues including a ton of Peri issues to solve.  As I was busy running three business trying to make ends meet in the absence of a salaried income, I didn’t bother to make another appointment until…

Then the other night I was dizzy so I made an appt. “I know you want to talk about all your issues, but I don’t have time right now”. So I had a urine test which revealed a UTI.  She gave me a prescription for that and asked me to make a “long appt” for two weeks hence to follow up and discuss more of my issues.  I’m 53.  Been to a lot of dr’s as I have always had a lot of chronic issues. NEVER been told this. So I asked my FB group if this was a new trend so dr’s can bill ins co for more visits? 

I was told that insurance companies only allow drs to bill for 12 minutes per patient.  UM!  What if it takes me 12 minutes just to list them off?  UH…what if you prescribe something for me that is counter intuitive due to another issue I have that you would finally address at visit #6?  And do I really have to wait six visits and weeks or months to begin to address chronic pain, fatigue and stuff?!  

So we’ve gone from a dr/patient *relationship* to a dr/patient sound byte exchange.  The Information Age has now tarnished our relationships so much that the resulting conversation is spoken in shorthand and bullet points articulated in rushed, hushed tones so as not to antagonize the Insurance Gods and awaken the Time Nazis.  

What’s your experience?