Please explain medical appt scheduling to me.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I had an emergency surgery last month. 
I'm supposed to have a follow-up surgery with a different surgeon in an adjacent office. 

Other than my pregnancies, I've not had any major medical procedures. 

On April 1, I met with the Physician's Assistant of the surgical office to confirm that I was fully recovered from my emergency surgery to have the follow-up surgery. He said that he wanted the follow-up surgery to happen within the month. 
As I was driving home, my husband called the office and left a message asking the scheduler to call him back. This was at 3:00pm. 
No one called, so he called the next day (April 2) in the late afternoon. 
No one called. 
Somewhere between Thursday, April 11 & Saturday, April 13, (I hadn't checked the mail since Wed.) I received a letter from my insurance company that the surgery had been approved for the dates of April 7 - April 10. 
Still no one from the medical office called. 
I called today at 1:15. I got the voice mail. The person states that "if you leave multiple messages, it will just take us longer to call back."
I left a testy message. 
I got a return call today at 4:30. 
The person who returned my call said she had no idea why I was calling. 
I explained to her that I've been waiting for over two weeks for someone to call me regarding a surgery. 
Then, she decided i needed to talk to the scheduler. 
The scheduler wasn't available. 
The person who did call me said she'd leave the scheduler a message and the scheduler will call me in the morning. 

I'm annoyed. Is that justifiable annoyance? Is this how surgery scheduling generally works?

[wvugurl26]

I've never had trouble like that. My knee surgery the scheduler called when they said she would. My procedures with the pain doctor, I never waited more than a day for the scheduler to get back to me. Seems to be a poorly run office.

Not that it excuses them but perhaps your DH calling and asking for a call back when he's not the patient is part of the issue? They need to go hunt up your disclosure, did you authorize them to talk to your husband etc.?

[dannylion]

It sounds like this surgeon's office has a poorly trained staff and no proper procedures in place to route calls efficiently.  I have only had one major surgery, but communication and scheduling was handled very promptly and professionally.  Your experience sounds very frustrating and I think your annoyance is entirely understandable.   


 

[NoNamePerson]

The scheduler will probably forget to tell the surgeon that a surgery has been scheduled. I'd be looking for a different set of doctors. Not that my post helps one bit but I'm not patient with this kind of crap or just taking it laying down.

ETA  I think annoyance is mild compared to the situation. Mad as hell would be more appropriate.  

[kadee79]

Having just recently had some emergency procedures and then a surgery with a specialist....I did not have this type of problem.  Mine was heart related.

We didn't get an appt. with the specialist as quickly as I thought we should have so one call & we got a reply with a date & time & he scheduled my surgery when I saw him....later that day!...the surgery.

The only one I've had a problem with was an affiliated Dr. that was to do a follow up procedure & he couldn't do it as planned due to spring break....but we finally got that done too.


I believe I'd be going back to my original Dr. and complain...and let them handle it if no one calls tomorrow....or show up at their office window and find out why it hasn't been scheduled yet.

[countrygirl2]

The only problem I've had was in the hospital with them not getting in touch with my doc.

But them scheduling tests isn't a problem, sometimes meds are, but I don't know if its the doc or pharmacy.

Things should get better, she is moving out of the shared office situation to her own office.  I think this will make everything better.  They kind of acted like they didn't want my doctor in that office.  She has done well by me, so I have no complaints.  Hubs thinks she refers to often, I said internal meds are basically gate keepers and refer.  Not the way I like it either but is pretty much the same all over.

I have an appointment coming up with my pain management doc and an ENT.  I do need to see one.
DD has an appointment with a local doc an endocrinologist for her thyroid issues.  We both likely need to see a gyn for a pap, but I didn't know if we will.  We are pretty much caught up on everything, I even got a tetanus shot and diphtheria not sure why I needed the second part.

[TheOtherMe]

I did not encounter this type of issue two years ago when I had gall bladder removal surgery.  I didn't encounter it with any of the testing that was done to determine what was wrong with me.

I would be very unhappy if I was treated this way.  

My experience is I've usually received a return call within 24 hours.

[NastyWoman]

Apr 16, 2019 19:07:17 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

... 
I called today at 1:15. I got the voice mail. The person states that "if you leave multiple messages, it will just take us longer to call back."
...

I wonder whether the doctor even knows about this message. I would send an email to her/him, the hospital (provided this person is scheduling services provided at the hospital), his or her supervisor and everyone else I could come up with.  This is rudeness to the nth degree and not to be taking lightely → personally I consider this a firing offense and I am certain that my company would too!

[Chocolate Lover]

Apr 17, 2019 15:13:05 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

Apr 16, 2019 19:07:17 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

... 
I called today at 1:15. I got the voice mail. The person states that "if you leave multiple messages, it will just take us longer to call back."
...

I wonder whether the doctor even knows about this message. I would send an email to her/him, the hopital (provided this person is scheduling services provided at the hospital), his or her supervisor and everyone else I could come up with.  This is rudeness to the nth degree and not to be taking lightely → personally I consider this a firing offense and I am certain that my company would too!

Yeah, we all think it but it's not supposed to actually go on the outgoing message!!!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I've not received a return call from the Tuesday afternoon conversation with the person who didn't understand why I would them. That person was supposed to leave a message for someone who would call me back. No one has called me back; it's been a full business day plus two hours of the next business day. 

I called the blood clot/vascular surgeon's office just now. I explained that I didn't know what else to do, and that I felt like I needed a referral to another cardiologist's office. 

The person I spoke to at least portrayed sympathy and promised that someone from the vascular surgeon's office would call me today. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

The second office has called back. Unfortunately, I was not pleasant. 
She said she was only calling because I had called and asked for an update. She said my surgery is scheduled for May 15 and someone would call me in the next week to set up the pre-op appointment. 
I asked why there was such a long time in getting called back, and she said that she had no idea about any prior messages left. I asked her if it normally takes this long to schedule surgeries, and her repsonse was "We just got your insurance approval ten days ago." 

I realize that my anxiety is way up due to this diagnosis, and I realize that I wasn't nice to to the person who called me today. I'm just flabbergasted that this office takes so long to schedule anything when two medical practitioners have said the surgery needs to happen by the end of April. 

[azucena]

Apr 17, 2019 15:31:29 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Apr 17, 2019 15:13:05 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

I wonder whether the doctor even knows about this message. I would send an email to her/him, the hopital (provided this person is scheduling services provided at the hospital), his or her supervisor and everyone else I could come up with.  This is rudeness to the nth degree and not to be taking lightely → personally I consider this a firing offense and I am certain that my company would too!

Yeah, we all think it but it's not supposed to actually go on the outgoing message!!!

I've actually heard this same msg in 2 or 3 different offices.

[alabamagal]

Well we have had plenty of issues with Doctor office staff lately. We like the doctor, but the staff doesn’t seem to have it together, also terrible from a customer service perspective.

DH has diabetes/high blood pressure and sees his primary care doctor every 6 months. Last visit he asked them to change pharmacies, he told 3 different people, they all wrote it down, yet prescriptions got called in to old place. When he called nurse he had to listen to a very long message about how long it will take to get a call back and requesting not to leave multiple messages, that will only cause delays.

Our eye doctor has a terrible staff too. We had a billing issue that we couldn’t resolve. They sent us a bill for $30 but never filed with eye insurance and I think they owed us $20. I called and was told it was more since DH had diabetes, I told her it was covered by insurance. She said she would have insurance person call. Never happened. So DH went by office to just pay it and was told “we got a new system and can’t tell you how much you owe, try again later.” We never got another bill. Also, DH wanted to go in for an urgent eye problem one day, and despite the fact that they say they have 24 hour emergency visits, we couldn’t get anyone on the phone even during regular business hours. DH drove by office (it is only a block from our house) and there was a handwritten sign saying they were closed. He just went to urgent care.

I go to a thyroid doctor, the lady that runs his office is just very snooty. They like to do blood tests before your appointment so you have to go in 2 weeks ahead of time for blood test so doctor has your results. They give you a reminder call 1 week before, but if you don’t have blood tests you have to reschedule. I asked them why don’t they call 2 weeks ahead to remind you of blood work and was told “that is not how office manager wants to do it “.

[justme]

Apr 18, 2019 17:31:08 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

The second office has called back. Unfortunately, I was not pleasant. 
She said she was only calling because I had called and asked for an update. She said my surgery is scheduled for May 15 and someone would call me in the next week to set up the pre-op appointment. 
I asked why there was such a long time in getting called back, and she said that she had no idea about any prior messages left. I asked her if it normally takes this long to schedule surgeries, and her repsonse was "We just got your insurance approval ten days ago." 

I realize that my anxiety is way up due to this diagnosis, and I realize that I wasn't nice to to the person who called me today. I'm just flabbergasted that this office takes so long to schedule anything when two medical practitioners have said the surgery needs to happen by the end of April. 

Personally, unless this surgeon is like the best at what he does I would be seriously considering another office. A 10 day turn around is slow and if the doctors' notes were to get the surgery by end of April and they schedule it that far out - either they didn't read your chart or they don't care considering they gave you no notice or they're understaffed. I would also be concerned about getting in touch with anyone after the surgery in case you need it - his front office is the gate to get to nurses and such. 

I recently had an endoscopy (non emergency) and while I was impatient and called after 3 days of waiting for the scheduler (It was middle of Nov and I desperately wanted it before my insurance reset) talking to her she said I was in the queue and would have heard from her either that day or the next. I've also never had to call multiple times at any of my doctors offices to get a call back (except my therapists lol).

[Chocolate Lover]

Apr 18, 2019 17:31:08 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

The second office has called back. Unfortunately, I was not pleasant. 
She said she was only calling because I had called and asked for an update. She said my surgery is scheduled for May 15 and someone would call me in the next week to set up the pre-op appointment. 
I asked why there was such a long time in getting called back, and she said that she had no idea about any prior messages left. I asked her if it normally takes this long to schedule surgeries, and her repsonse was "We just got your insurance approval ten days ago." 

I realize that my anxiety is way up due to this diagnosis, and I realize that I wasn't nice to to the person who called me today. I'm just flabbergasted that this office takes so long to schedule anything when two medical practitioners have said the surgery needs to happen by the end of April. 

I think they opted out of your being pleasant when they took so long to get back to you and never informed you that you had indeed been scheduled.

I also agree with Justme about not using them unless you absolutely have to. They sound like they'd let you bleed to death before they could be bothered with you. 

[Bluerobin]

The doctor and his staff are incompetent.  Avoid them.  Good advice above!

[CCL]

I agree the staff was rude and they should have returned your call right away, but is it possible it wasn't scheduled sooner due to the doctor just not having any openings til then (May)? Around here it takes a while to see any specialist. Sometimes if your doctor calls himself they will try to get you in sooner, but usually you just have to wait.