Prior setting up my practice, there were a few things that always annoyed me in healthcare settings when I wasn’t the one making the decisions. Simple things like excessive paperwork for the doctor and patient. Too many healthcare providers asking the same list of questions to the same patient. Sending you home with a prescription rather than just the medication itself.
Making things easier for patients
Now that I have my own practice, I can do all of the things I always wanted to do but was never able to do. And hopefully patients will take advantage of those new-found opportunities and realize there’s a simpler way! For example, now that I have my own operating room, I don’t have to juggle the schedule with other doctors. When I tell the patient their operation will start at 8am, it does. Even better, since we have a streamlined system, the patient doesn’t have to show up two hours before their operation just to answer the same questions over and over. Instead, they show up 45 minutes before surgery.
As I’m mentioned before here, having the same operating room crew reduces complications and improves outcomes for patients. Additionally, after surgery, we don’t give the patient a pain prescription that they then have to fill on the way home. I’m confident that after surgery, no one wants to stop at the pharmacy and wait in line. So why not give the patient the actual pain medication you know they’ll need?! It’s totally legal as long as you keep track of the meds you provide (which we do).
Lastly, if I have a problem after hours as a patient, I want to contact my doctor. For that reason, the evening after surgery, I call patients from my office cell phone number to check on them. Once I call them, they have my number and they can call or text with any questions. Only one patient has taken advantage of this due to drug-seeking behavior but I won’t let that bad apply spoil the bunch!
The next time you’re assessing the location of your upcoming procedure, if certain things sound like a pain in the a–, remember, there’s probably a better way.
