Why do some health care professionals treat you horribly if you make mistakes/miss appointments?

Question

I had a doctors visit to this new doctor I was interested in, and for my first appointment I completely missed it because somehow, someway, I got the dates confused. The appointment fell on a thursday and I thought it was a wednesday and was completely shocked when the secretary on the other line told me that it was really a thursday.

That was embarassing on my part, and it was an honest mistake, but she was frustrated, and treated me like I was a total idiot.

Then few days ago I decide to show up at the office and what not and another secretary, perhaps the same one tells me that I have no appointments today, the doctor is away, and looks at me like I'm a crazy person. I tell her clearly that someone gave me this date, and she said well it wasn't me ,and I don't know who would since the doctor isn't even here, so then she gave me a new date and that was that, but not without hesitating, laughing and just generally treating me like I was a total clueless idiot.

I'm sure this isn't just in health care but,

why must people treat you horribly if you make mistakes/miss appointments?

I realize that it's possibly wasting the doctors time, etc, but was I the bad guy in this particular case?

If I was making myself look bad I understand.

Was that the case?

Answer 1

You know what I can totally understand why you feel the way you do. Here is something that happened to me similar to what you saying. I have an autistic daughter and she had some bad teeth, I took her to the Dentist and the woman at the front desk said to me... " My God Mam, don't you realize you need to be brushing your daughter's teeth for her?" I said "Now listen here I am trying to teach her how to do things for herself because when the day comes and my time has come to go I want her to do whatever she can for herself, so she isn't totally lost." She told me I was a neglective Mother and accually called Social Services on me saying I was negelecting my daughter's care. I was so angry you have no idea. I called up there and raised all kinda of heck with the Dr about that woman... well she got fired but... Then I took her back for some more work and asked if she could have some pain meds and some antibiotics because it was hurting so badly she was crying. The new woman said" and how do we know you will give them to her?" Well that was it I went balistic that time. Then they refused to do anything to help my daughter after all this c**p and I finally had to call my family medical Dr and ask for some pain meds and antibiotics from him for her. He called the dentist office and gave them heck! So the dentist called in 1 bottle of antibiotics and told me not to contact them again until I had the money up front to pay for her care. SHE HAS INSURANCE for christ sake. So I surly can understnd where your coming from my friend!! We have sense found a new dentist needless to say.