Does your doctor know you

I have been reading various articles about how having a good working relationship with your doctor is important. I remember in my youth my family had a family physician that we went to for all sorts of things. I remember going to him for physicals for sports and scouts. Even injuries in which I had to be hospitalized were through him. He had a good working knowledge of my family. Eventually when I was no longer covered by my parents insurance that change. I went without insurance for a period of time and used the clinic at college. When I became employed full time I got insurance through my employer. It seems that my former employer (I'm retired now) tended to push people towards HMO's as they were cheaper than other plans. You could select a PPO doctor, but it was substantially more for the employee with higher co-pays. Through the years I mostly saw the doctor only when required for an annual physical. My primary car physician changed because my employer would change policies depending on what was the best value (for them) at the time.

So now here I am in the autumn of life, and I have a fairly new health plan for my wife and I. The kids are on their own. With my current plan, I have only seen my primary care physician 3 times in the past three years. Once was to get a prescription refilled and the other two were for physicals that were really nothing more than simple office visits. It seems like its an assembly line process. I have needed to go to the doctor a few times, but went to urgent care as my doctor was unavailable.

What I am getting around to - how many of you have a good working relationship with your physician? Does your primary care physician really know you or are just another patient coming through the mill? I'm sure the doctor greets you by name when they walk into the exam room, but is it because they know you or they just looked at your chart before coming in? How often do you go to the doctor? Like a lot of guys unless it is really bad I figure whatever ails me will resolve itself and it has. With the current health plan I feel that I could go to any doctor and get the same care as I do from my primary care physician.

You have asked a number of questions. First it is rare now for people to have a relationship as close as to their old family doc. Those who do have a close relationship tend to be those with chronic medical problems. Does it matter if you have such a relationship? As a physician myself I'm not sure if it does. I think I deliver very good care to most of those I see. It doesn't matter if I know them well or not. If you want the close personal relationship you had with your family doctor it may be harder today unless you have chronic medical problems which demand frequent visits. Also in some way it helps to have some distance. Not that I haven't enjoyed knowing repeat visitors a lot. Of course I no longer practice internal medicine because I do emergency now.

My primary care GP knows me fairly well, I have been seeing her semi-regularly for a few years now. She has found me quite memorable for various reasons! She's been a point of contact for hospital admissions and liaised with various specialists that I've seen.

Just last week I had to visit my GP for a repeat of a test as the one I'd had done came back abnormal . Whilst she was redoing the test the conversation turned to my girls and how grown up they've got etc . I said " well , you have known me for over 20years "

She replied with " a lot of my long term patients are more like family . I class you as one of those ".

I suppose although it's biz to them every day , they do get to know long term families and regular patients .

Niknoks--Probably a good thing too...especially with medical history.

I would say that I have a good relationship with my current doctor (internist). That doesn't mean that she really knows me or other members of my family. She doesn't know that I have a medical fetish, although who knows, maybe she suspects that. But I get the feeling that I'm not just a name on a chart to her -- she actually remembers things about my last visit along with my likes and dislikes. Maybe she's just reading all that off of my chart before she walks in the door. But if so, she must take very good notes. But at the same time, it is very assembly-line in nature. She's in a busy multi-provider practice and she has a lot of patients lined up that need to be seen. I don't expect her to spend and hour with her talking about my golf game (no, I don't actually play golf).

As far as how often I see her, it's usually several times a year. I get an annual physical exam from her, and then she usually sees me once or twice more during the year to followup on some health issues that I have. And then I usually end up seeing her once or twice more for some kind of sick visit -- either strep throat or a sinus infection or something else. So that's maybe 5 visits total in a year.

I got my new fam doc last year in December and he was great from the start. he gave me meds for my eczema when old doc did not this new doc seems to care about me already which I liked a lot, in December as well my asthma doc was not changing my meds for me when it was not working so my new fam doc changed it for me, In jan I had to go to urgent care cause he was closed for new years so I sent him a message on doing that then saw him a week later and he really liked the update I gave him and listened to me as I had bronchitis and said how he got my update and wanted me to tell him more about it, then he gave me treatment in office as I was that sick and he seems to really care for me. and in feb I went to urgent care for a sore hip and I went to the urgent care where my fam doc is and he took the time out of his day to see me and my sore hip and when he walked in the room first thing he said was is ur asthma acting up? so he remembered how I had asthma even after me only seeing him twice before. and in april I saw him for bronchitis and he was just the same treated me like in jan and was concerned for me and I may went back for it still being there and he was even more concerned for me and wanted an xray and said I want u to stay here in my office and wait for the results of xray then when I said pharmacy called and said med u want me on is not covered by insurance I left there not only with xray results but also with a new med in my hand. and when I call him and if he is out of office he gets back to me same day even on days off and in may when I saw him I told him that my sister had moved in with us and how she is a smoker and all, and then I saw him few weeks after that as follow up to my bronchitis and he looked at me and said oh your sister lives with u right? it shocked me that my doctor actually remembered that my sister now with us. my fam doc will come in room and wash hands and while he is doing that he will ask me why I am there and get the details, then he will have me sit on the table and he will listen to me more about what problem is then he will actually sit on exam table behind me when he is listening to my lungs, then he will move on to ears, throat and things like that. then he will discuss my treatment plan and say I really think u need neb treatment in office do you have time for that? then he will be like don't be afraid to call me if you are not better and that a nurse will be in to do the treatment for me. my old doctor never did any of this at all, so this new doctor is a nice breath of fresh air as I like the way he dos things. he does not call me by name when he come in the room but with all the other stuff he does and remembers I do not care if he does not call me by name

I have been seeing my current primary care doc only for the past few years. He knows enough about me to know what I should be doing to take care of myself and he is very thorough and insistent that I do. Until I moved back east, however, I had seen my then primary care doc for 27 years. We had a very good relationship. He cared for me and for my then spouse and was always available to discuss whatever concerns we might have had. There was a time when my wife had surgery and he actually stopped by to see how I was doing while she was in the OR. I do miss him.

I've been going to the same family doctor since 1974. He was new to the neighborhood and around the same time my wife and I also moved to the same neighborhood in the city. It helped that aside from being competent and knowing our personalities more or less - my wife and I both tend to downplay medical problems - he was also acquainted with friends of ours, also in the medical field.

All of that aside, in Belgium where I live, if you choose a fixed family doctor (which can be anyone, anywhere you wish) in return for paying a small administrative charge of 25 euros a year to the doctor, the national health insurance gives a rebate and benefits to those who have a fixed family doctor. So that policy tends to make sure that doctors and patients have a better acquaintance of each other.

I've posted somewhere earlier that For Most of My doctors I am Like a daughter 😃 That is because All these doctors are friend of my father's since there residency times. Our family doctor and My grandfather Were classmate from High school to medical college and also finished their residency together . I also have a good relationship with doctors. I have always been a sick kid so I end up at doctor's 8-9 times a year lol.

This may be a bit tangential to the topic but I have run into my doctor several times out and about in stores and the restaurant. I have come to believe that she likely lives near me and therefore likes to have coffee in the village cafe and does her shopping at the local market, and visits Home Depot. Each time that I have seen her, she will pause and say hello but that is all. I can't help but wonder when the next time will be. Typically, I will be undressed and on her exam table so I am glad that she recognizes me with my clothes on and seems to be genuine in her greetings.

I had the same pediatrician from birth through age 18 and I saw him for yearly physicals and illness visits. He was a fantastic doctor and established a great relationship with both me and my parents.

I've had 2 different doctors since "graduating" from my pediatrician and I've only seen them for physical exams. The first doctor left the practice I used so I only saw him once for a single physical. After a several year break, I found a new doctor through a recommendation from a friend and began getting yearly physicals from him mostly to take advantage of a incentive from work.

My last physical started like this;

Dr. walks through door greets me shakes my hand and tells me he missed me in Sunday school the last week.

Yep, small town with only a few DR. in it.

I've had the same doctor for the last fifteen years regardless what health plan I have been on.

My last physical started like this;

Dr. walks through door greets me shakes my hand and tells me he missed me in Sunday school the last week.

Egad, a combination doctor and pastor. What else does he do, hear confessions?

I suppose small towns have their downsides that you have to account for, but even so. If a doctor ever ever made such an inappropriate personal remark like that to me, I doubt I'd ever wish to consult him again. Doctors and religion are a bad combination. Who knows how far they let their personal beliefs get in to the way of performing proper medical treatments and giving you choice of all available options?

I know doctors have personal beliefs like everyone else, but they should never ever be put on display to a patient. It undermines trust.

Welcome to rural USA.

You may view it as a down side not me. I live in a rather unique situation.

The man and his family are close friends. They have been to my house for cook outs. When his children and mine were young I would see and roller skate with them at the local rink. I have assisted him on medical mission trips to South America.

As for my medical care it is always first and for most in his mind. He is always attending seminars to keep up on the latest and greatest.

As for my pastor he is not only my spiritual advisor but a police chief and emt.

I moved out of a big city to have this and the quiet that goes with it. I would not live anywhere else.

Welcome to rural USA.

As for my pastor he is not only my spiritual advisor but a police chief and emt.

What a concentration of important positions of local power in so few hands ... I hope they are all akin to benevolent and enlightened dictators. I just cannot help but wonder how a pastor can separate his personal beliefs from his work enforcing laws. There are always potential conflicts between the two. Maybe they have split personalities?

As for rural living: right now, for the summer months that is, I am in, not even rural Spain anymore, but way out in the sierras, far away from just about everything. It does make for a good change from city life, but after a few months here I start itching to be back at the center of things, where I can walk to any and all stores in minutes time, instead of driving 30km. It gets boring out in the boondocks.

My Fam. Dr. and his RN wife are "parrot Heads", like me and I have attended several Jimmy Buffet concerts with them. He even got me tickets when they were sold out to the public. I subscribe to the Parrot Head newsletters and after I read them, I GIVE THEM to my Fam. Doc.

My Doctor does know me, she is a the cousin of a friends wife. That's why I chose her, she also shares my phobia of having to go tot he Dr, she also shares my sensitivity in that I don't want to be examined, disrobed or exposed. So we have a great relationship. She listens and prescribes what I need if I need anything which is not often, I keep the frequency of seeing her to once every two years if that.

I think it would be a fair statement for me to say that my Doctor REALLY, and I do mean REALLY knows me, better than anyone actually, medically speaking and ummm, other, lol.

Mashie

Mashie, it is SOO good to see you posting again and being "cheeky", like your old self.

"Mashie, it is SOO good to see you posting again and being "cheeky", like your old self."

Amen, A-A-men!! Mike.

I have had my present Dr., for about three years now. I went with her, as the Dr. I had, left, but really liked his nurse, and not so much him 😉 When I first went to Doc Beth (her nick name at the clinic), we really locked horns. She put me on an anti-depressant, as I had just divorced, and was feeling pretty down, with that self-feeling of being a loser 😢 I took it for a short time, and suddenly found I couldn't have a climax, while masturbating. Looked at the side effects, and sure enough, that was listed 😢 Went back to her, and she thought I wouldn't be back, as we really locked horns. I told her, OK, now you just sit and listen, as you haven't a clue as to what all I have been through. Though it's in all in my records, I could tell she had not gone-past the first page 😢 I told her, in no uncertain terms as to all the stuff I'd been through, and why I wasn't totally willing to go with her ideas, I new wouldn't work. I pulled no punches telling her how important masturbating was to me, and those miracle anti-depressant drugs were not going to work, and could we do something different?? She apologized, about drawing conclusions that were not going to help, but aggravate, and side-step the real issues. She smiled and told me, that if I was still into masturbating, and was so important to me, to do it as often as needed, as it was very good for me. She said, she was divorced and remarried, and knew how important hose things are to us all.

Since all the above, she and I are getting along well, and have grown to really like her, and she is always glad and friendly to see me. I have lost weight, brought my BP down, and she is real encouraged, that she and I are doing well. Instead of the anti-depressant, she gave me a script for a real cheap, and effective anti-anxiety pill, that worked well, and no side effects 😃

Our clinic has an email system that is real nice, and sometimes I just write her a quick note, and just ask how she is, and we have become good friends. So, yes my Dr. does know me, and it is that way, and I rather forced that issue, where it worked well for both of us. She moved to a smaller clinic, that is not further from me than the other was, but I like the fact it is smaller, and hope Vancouver Clinic keeps it that way. When she moved, I sent he a nice item for her desk I built, for holding her bus. cards. It has "Doc Beth Walton" scrolled on it, and she proudly keeps it on her desk, with my bus. card, taped to the bottom 😃 Mike.

Ohhh, Mikey, you are such a good and thoughtful boy. We women love those kinks of gifts. Okay we love almost any gift a man gives us, but for me personally, if he makes me something it will be one of my most cherished possessions forever. It's not about money at all. Actually, Doc gave me his very last tshirt from his medical school. Wow, that's one of the best things he's ever given me, ever!

Mashie

Thanks, Mashie!! I, always try to give credit, where credit is due, and can write some nasty, and direct letters, where needed. It is refreshing to be in a good place with my Dr., as other medical people I deal with, are pretty stupid, and tough to deal with. Byram Healthcare is on my list companies that are stupid from the butt, both ways!! However, I did find a lady, right here in Washington, with Byram, that is the best!! She has really helped me, way more than most, at Byram. I've written two or three letters, to her superiors, giving her high praises!! Just yesterday, she thanked me for that, on the phone 😃 Mike.

Ohhh, Mikey, you are such a good and thoughtful boy. We women love those kinks of gifts. Okay we love almost any gift a man gives us, but for me personally, if he makes me something it will be one of my most cherished possessions forever. It's not about money at all. Actually, Doc gave me his very last tshirt from his medical school. Wow, that's one of the best things he's ever given me, ever!

Mashie

I agree. Homemade gifts are great, whether given by a man or woman! A friend knit me a heavy sweater/jacket and I absolutely love it. It's my favourite gift ever. I only wish I could wear it more, it's so warm I can only wear it when it's below freezing.

Regarding the OP, my GP knows me quite well. She doesn't keep a written chart anymore, it's all on computer, so when she comes into the room, she hasn't peeked at the chart and she knows what is going on. I've been seeing her for about 16 years now and see her multiple times a year as I have complex medical issues, so that may be why.

It's safe to say that mine and Miss Ravens doctor knows us very well. We are in there a lot. I think it's safe to say we are in there 3 or 4 times a month. Dr. H doesn't always need our records to remember things about us. Like when Miss Raven ratted on me for coughing, I got told by Dr H that she wanted me to be seen (urgent care, as she had no openings) because of my asthma. She remembersaid my ears are "jacked up" and my kidneys are "sketchy" (those are her wors, not mine). Dr. H has a great since of humor and her sarcasm is about like ours too. When we go see her, it's like going to see a friend.