Sleep Lab Pi$$ed me off

[ameriken]

My issue is not as much with an NP as I know people that prefer the NP over their PCP because they take more time to listen to them. I just don't like the way they did it.

I agree. From your original post, the way it sounds is like 'the doctor has more important things to do than to see you so he's pawning you off to someone else'. Not exactly what I'd call 'good customer service'.

[Bons]

I always schedule my appointments with the PA rather than my GYN. She's got a much better examining table-side manner. And if she does come up against something she isn't sure of, she can ask the doc.

The husband deals with PA's all the time with his digestive tract issues and A-fib - they are quicker to listen and open to suggestions, whereas the doctors tend to know everything (even when they don't ).

[Lizistired]

I dno't doubt that insurance is an issue also. I have TriCare.. and you get what you pay for! Not what you paid for or were promised.

[StevenXXXX]

I too would rather deal with the NP than the two Sleep Doctors.

I initially went to a Hospital run Sleep Lab 13 years ago for my Sleep Study.
That Sleep Lab had only 1 Sleep Doctor (a Neurologist) & no NP.

He hired a NP about 3 years later when his patient load was too big for just 1 person.

I was introduced to her when I asked him at an AWAKE meeting about raising my pressure.
He pointed her out to me & said go tell her I said to give you a prescription to raise your pressure from X to Y.

Even from my limited contact with her, I was impressed with her knowledge.
And if she did not know something, she would find the answer for you - no matter how long it took. I always assumed she was trying to prove her worth to the Sleep Doctor, but I benefited from it.

Several years later, the Sleep Doctor died.
He was replaced by two other Doctors who knew Diddly.

I go to extremes to even have to see any of them.
But when I do need them, I actually request the NP even though 1 of the 2 Doctors are actually my Sleep Doctor. Case in Point: I just saw her in December to get a prescription for the ResMed S9 AutoSet I purchased in late December.

[Therapist]

From your original post, the way it sounds is like 'the doctor has more important things to do than to see you

It may well be that this part of your post is dead on - exactly right - the doctor does have more important things to do.

I asked and did not get an answer:

If you have your prescription and understand your diagnosis what do you expect from a doctor? Advise on a chinstrap? How to keep the mask from leaking? How to prevent rainout?

Are things like this taking up the doctor's time? Valuable time that would be much better to allocate to more serious medical discussion?

Is it things like this that a nurse practitioner could likely handle better than the doctor?

It seems now you have decided there is nothing that you needed to see the doctor or the nurse practitioner about. You say "Pi$$ed", I say you would have pissed the doctor's time and the medical system's money down the drain had the appointment been honored.

Are you insisting on soaking up the doctor's time? Making medical care more expensive and more scarce for everyone?

No wonder my doctors are all skilled at rushing me out when I go in for a health problem. They are loaded up with patients wasting their time.

Take all these whiny attitudes and add them all up across the whole country and you have a huge unnecessary cost of health care.

Have a nice evening.

[ameriken]

I find it interesting to read the kudos being given to NP's as I agree wtih them.

The way I see it, is nursing is more targeted toward overall patient care, whereas doctors are focused specifically on the illness or disease. When you raise the level of the nurse to a point where he/she knows as much as the doctor, then you have someone who understands both the patient and the illness. In my experience, the NP doesn't have that God complex and therefore is able to actually listen and empathize with the patient, and that empathy makes all the difference in the world.

[snuginarug]

in my opinion, it is not up to the patient to triage themselves. It is up to the patient to not be a complete hypochondriac, but the doctor must organize his time himself. If he overbooks himself, he needs polite professional staff to handle the problem. If you make an appointment with someone, it is really not good practice to pawn them off on someone else without polite, considerate consultation with the wishes of the patient. My take on the situation as described is that the staff were flippant and unprofessional, not that a doctor was preferred over an NP. That seemed to me to be the main issue.

My issue is not as much with an NP as I know people that prefer the NP over their PCP because they take more time to listen to them.I just don't like the way they did it.

I like to pay attention to what people say before I go off on a rant that is unconnected with their situation.

[sloweddi]

In many cases the NP is just as knowledgeable as the doctor. And in most cases, the doctor reviews the NPs work. You were probably moved because your case did not need a doctor to be there and there was someone else who did need the doctor. As an example, what you experienced is how one of the largest and most respected health care system operates with a level of care you could only hope to get. It is called the Veterans Administration.

The idea that doctors need a better tee time is something put in your brain by the movies. I know few doctors that have the spare time needed to keep current on medical practices let alone spend the considerable time on a sport.

[Therapist]

The idea that doctors need a better tee time is something put in your brain by the movies. I know few doctors that have the spare time needed to keep current on medical practices let alone spend the considerable time on a sport.

Amen brother, you speak the truth.

[Lizistired]

... most respected health care system operates with a level of care you could only hope to get. It is called the Veterans Administration.

You gotta be kidding me!

Therapist, I didn't make the appointment. The sleep dr did. If it were up to me I would have seen him after my sleep study and titration. Instead, they look up your nose, listen to your heart and say someone will call you. Luckily there are forums like this so I don't have to waste MY time discussing with him the stupid questions you suggest.
Your assumptions are way off the mark.

[snuginarug]

Methinks I smell a rat.

Either there are two insufferable know it all sanctimonious prigs, or we have Guest in a new disguise. I hate to think there would be two people likely to champion doctors in the face of rudeness and poor judgement and then go on to castigate people for sins not their own with an intolerable smugness and superiority. I also cringe to think there might actually be a therapist who chose the nick "Therapist." Healthy therapists do not identify so wholly with their professional title. They have a life and personality outside their practice. Healthy therapists leave their profession at their office door.

At any rate, lay off with the lectures about things not connected to the original post, or at least try to actually read what people post.

[snuginarug]

Just to refresh your memory and draw your attention back to WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAID:

My issue is not as much with an NP as I know people that prefer the NP over their PCP because they take more time to listen to them. I just don't like the way they did it.

Unless I think of a really good question that I can't get answered here I ain't goin'.

And just to reinforce this I will repeat what should have been clear without being specifically stated:

Therapist, I didn't make the appointment. The sleep dr did.

[Lizistired]

Thanks Snuginarug,
I was thinking the same thing so I didn't want to feed her, but we might as well add this one to the list since she obviously chose to ignore it too.

... I'm not going to bill my insurance to find out. I did get my script renewed over the phone last month, so that's all I really need. ...

[lunatech]

Nurse Practitioners or PA's have there place, like taking the mundane tasks from the doctor's, not supervising or interpreting the results of a test.

Being married to an NP and seeing what she went through to get her master's degree I have to disagree with you. Right now she is in charge of an 8 bed ICU at a major hospital here in Winston Salem and coordinates ALL the care for the patients . NP's can actually open their own private practice if they are so inclined to do so. The only catch is that they have to a physician available (not on site) to consult with. A NP is not a glorified nurse and they have worked really hard to get where they are at, so show a little respect. Now I'm not bashing nurses by any means, they have worked hard to get where they are also. My wife was an ICU nurse prior to getting her master's degree and NP license. I would take an NP over some of the physicians I know.

[ameriken]

If you have your prescription and understand your diagnosis what do you expect from a doctor? Advise on a chinstrap? How to keep the mask from leaking? How to prevent rainout?

If these are not important enough to see a doctor, then why would the office make the appointment with the doctor in the first place? They should have said initially "You don't need to see the doctor for this, so we'll have you see the NP". Then this all would have been avoided.

Are things like this taking up the doctor's time? Valuable time that would be much better to allocate to more serious medical discussion?

I repeat my answer above, why would the doctors office, who is supposed to know something about how to handle specific issues, make an appointment with the doctor in the first place if it was more appropriate to see the NP? Incompetence of the doctors office?

Is it things like this that a nurse practitioner could likely handle better than the doctor?

Yes, and again...one would think the doctors office would know the difference and be able to make the appointment with the right professional in the first place. Incompetency of the doctors office is not the fault of the patient.

It seems now you have decided there is nothing that you needed to see the doctor or the nurse practitioner about. You say "Pi$$ed", I say you would have pissed the doctor's time and the medical system's money down the drain had the appointment been honored.

The patient doesn't decide who to see, the doctors office decides. Obviously they cannot figure out which professional each patient should be seeing for their particular problems.

Are you insisting on soaking up the doctor's time? Making medical care more expensive and more scarce for everyone?

Incompetent doctors who don't know how to triage their patients are causing rates to go up. It was her doctors office who is soaking up the patients time by telling her she needs to see the doctor and then calling her back and telling her she doesn't need to see the doctor.

No wonder my doctors are all skilled at rushing me out when I go in for a health problem. They are loaded up with patients wasting their time.
Take all these whiny attitudes and add them all up across the whole country and you have a huge unnecessary cost of health care.

Maybe you need a new doctor? If you're doctor can't spend enough time with you, then try my doctor. He takes his time. Despite being an extremely busy office, they know who to see for which issues and how to budget their time and appointments. His staff is well trained in those decisions as well. They don't leave it up to the patients to decide which doctor or nurse or NP they need to see. He figures, he's the professional and that's what he's getting paid to do, so he acts like one.

Besides, the OP already stated that she doesn't have a problem with the appt being changed, but rather with the way it was done. This could all have been avoided if the so-called health care 'professionals' knew what they were doing in the first place. You would know that if you read her posts.