Has it Been your Experience that Real Doctors Palm Patients Off to Someone Else, -?

Question

-When they Think a Problem is Beyond Them?

An "Easy Way Out".

Rather than Expending the Needed Effort to Find Out What the Problem is?

Answer 1

I like a doctor who deals with whatever is within his/her own capabilities, but when not totally satisfied, refers me to another doctor, or specialist, for a second opinion or expertise.   Years ago, sadly, a GP in whom I had faith failed to refer me after I had severe urinary problems, prescribing "wait and see" for six months.   The specialist he referred me to then found prostate cancer and suggested chemo.  Fortunately my psychiatrist daughter  sent me to a distinguished urinologist in another city and I ended with a major operation for aggressive prostate cancer.   It saved my life.   I'm all for second opinions - including in my own work!   Even the best writers need good editors.

Answer 2

Absolutely, and I should know. I got idiopathic Gastroparesis 7 years ago. My gastric emptying study was 6-8 hours. The Dr. gave me medicine that didn't help. He told me the best medicine for this illness can't be bought in the U.S. so I ordered it from Canada. It made me worse so he sent me to another Dr. who also could not treat me.I had lost 40 lbs so far. He ran some tests and made some money for himself and the hospital then sent me to someone else. The new Dr. said he could fix me so HE ran tests then said he could not help me I was too bad. I had lost 60 pounds and my gastric emptying study was up to 16-18 hours so he sent me to a surgeon for a gastric pacemaker (mind you I do/did not have the usual symptoms of this digestive disorder and it is in all my records that I don't. The surgeon said I have to have my gallbladder removed to put the gastric pacemaker in so I lose a perfectly good gallbladder to have this pacemaker so I can eat. By this time (6 years later) I have lost 70 pounds and can only eat popsickles, cup of soup broth only and strained baby fruit (4 oz jar/day) after having my gallbladder removed and taking 6 weeks to heal well enough for surgery the surgeon tells me He can't put the pacemaker in because it is for nausea & vomiting only, which I don't have (we talked about that on the 1st visit so he knew I did not have n & v and it was in my records) so now a year later it is taking 20 + hours for my gastric emptying study and all I can eat now is strained baby fruit ( 1-4 oz jar daily) and all the liquids I want to drink. Now I can't find a gastroenterologist who will see me at all. After they see my records they tell me they can't help me. Now I am malnourished, exhausted and have muscle atrophy throughout my body. My bowels shut down 7 years ago and I can't find a Dr to put a feeding tube in since no one wants me as a patient. I have other problems because of this illness and basically I feel like the walking dead. So in answer to your question A B S O L U T E L Y !!!!!! They just don't care!! I'm lactose intolerant so no milk products. My calcium, magnesium, and protein is too low and my CO2 is high and I haven't been able to smell a thing since Dec. Caused from malnourishment. If it were not for my GP I would probably be dead by now. "Carolyn you need to learn more about Doctors and how they really treat patients!!!!!

mdGreg, you are absolutely right. When Drs. can't help you they bame it on You having too much stress so I ask them "Can You eat"? When they say yes I say "I Can't so if I could eat I wouldn't have so much stress would I"?  Why do they never answer that question? Why do they blame everything on stress? How much stress do you think they would have if they couldn't eat and how fast do you think they would find help if they had my problem? Thanks for understanding.

Answer 3

Technically this is a stupid question.  I work within a hospital setting.  Anyone should welcome a resident.  He has the time & tenasity to explore what your problem is.  He will also go back to his senior and review with that Dr. his or her findings.  Everyone should watch House to kinda get a picture of how this works.  Residence and Senior residence also review findings with the attending.  The Doctors are not palming patients off on anyone.  It is a quite thourough investigative process.  I was a ward clerk,  I am a biller and coder in the medical field and yes I have had plenty residents review my cases when I have gone to the hospital.  I well come the imput.  I am very fond of residents.  We should be applauding them and saying thank you every time we see them.  -Carolyn

Answer 4

Or they refer the patient to a specialist with more expertise in the area, to insure more efficient and quality care. What you see as the easy way out may be them doing you a favor by not spinning their wheels when they feel they aren't going to get anywhere but somebody else might.

Answer 5

Referring a patient to someone with more expertise is not "palming them off".  The very idea is offensive.  The doctor who refers loses money  he could have made by keeping you.

There is no "kickback" system.

There are physicians I would never refer to, and some I refer to frequently-- I may see the ones I refer to once a year, at a meeting. I send patients to the men who get the best results-- period.

As a Neurologist, I would be totally out of my league trying to treat a GI problem. When I run into a patient with an incidental GI problem that needs attention,I contact the Primary physician-- If he cannot handle it,  the patient will be referred.

Be thankful they are trying.

Next stop will probably be a major referral center that deals with very complex cases- Mayo's or Hopkins, etc.

Answer 6

never happend to me but I have heard of it.

Answer 7

No I have found just the opposite. But it could be that when I pick a doctor I pick one that is dedicated to my health. Not just a paycheck, a walking dollar sign.

Personal experience: I kept having headaches intermittently, or should I say that is what I thought they were. Instead it was really my eye ball being deformed by a tumor inside the ocular cavity behind the eyeball. I went to my regular doctor and she look me over and got a really worried look on her face, Not a poker player, when she looked into my right eye.

She sent me to the ophthalmologist. He had four of his associate doctors come in and look at me, just to be certain that they were seeing what they thought they were seeing. They then sent me to get an MRI, and come back with the disc and a reading from the physician at the xray dept.

They sat me down and explained that the surgery required to remove the tumor was outside their specific training and they would find a surgeon capable of handling the removal.  After about three days the found a facial reconstruction specialist, post accident type of work, that said he could do the surgery without any problem since he would have a whole face to start with.

Saw him the next day. A week later 09/12/2001 I was on the table having part of my eye socket removed, the eye ball muscles streched so they could get behind the eye ball, remove the tumor, then put everything back. 6 hours under the knife.

I was never "palmed off" to another doctor. I was given to the doctors that could do the job most correctly. And mind you my regular physician was making sure everything went through her to guide the entire process and make sure nothing got missed.

Nope, if you choose the right doctors to start with you will never get "palmed off" expecially if you help direct your own treatment and are active in the decision making process.