Doctors and receptionist

Have any of you guys on here have receptionists that think they are doctors??

An example:

I rang up a week or so ago to see my doctor and the receptionist said what is the problem so I said are you a doctor. She said no. So I said i would like an appointment to see a doctor. Again she asked what is the problem. So I replied again are you a doctor. She said no, but if you tell me I may be able to help. So I walked down there and reported her to the doctor and the practice manager.

Although they may be wanting to help by point the problem to the right doctor .

But I just wanted to see my own doc.

Anybody else have this problem around the world?

Seems like a case of 'situational power' for someone who lacks it in the rest of their lives. & Boy do they like to use it when they have it, lol

I get that question all the time when I book an appointment. I've always just presumed it was so they'd know how much time to book me in for.

My Doctors Receptionist I always thought was an extremely nosey person.

She always insisted on wanting to know EXACTLY what your symptoms were before considering if you got an appointment that day or indeed that week.

I am a Diabetic and also have a heart condition so unfortunately I am one of my GP's "Regulars"

On making a recent call to make an appointment, I was again asked what my reason was.

Being totally peed off at this intrusion I said that I wanted to see the Doctor as I was concerned about having a very large Penis!.

Got an appointment same day but she told the Doctor my reason and caused me great embarrassment explaining to him that I had said this to shut her up.

Next time tell her you took viagra 6 hours ago and it is still working. Before walking into the waiting room, stick a ruler in your shorts and walk with a limp. 😁

I have to agree with bbw, always when i need an apointment im asked what problem ive got or something along those lines...ive been told by my doc that it's just so they know wether or not to book a same day appointment or just to know an estimated time for your appointment...she also said that it depends on the practice that you go to...some may want to know the EXACT reason for your visit...while others may just get a very brief description.

If you want a same day appointment, it's in your best interests to tell them exactly what is bringing you in. Most doctors here only keep a few spots open for last minute urgent cases, and they want to ensure that those time slots go to those who truly need them. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes that makes some things more serious than in an otherwise healthy person, tell the receptionist that. I have a tendency to get bronchitis/pneumonia, so when I'm calling to book an appointment for breathing problems, I tell them that.

Lol, I know exactly the type you mean. We have one at the clinic I work at who always asks more than she needs to. I think they do need to know alittle just so they can know how long a slot to book but this woman just wants to know too much!

I have had some ask my life history and i just need to get in to see the doc for a sore throat or some other minor thing. All i want to here from them is if they can get me in and what time I need to be there. I know they will see the file and know whats wrong when its over. Most the one around here where I live are young girls just out of school trying to make it sound as if they are the boss. I have spoke to dr before about there receptionist that are rude or pushy. The dr is the one i am paying not the receptionist.

After a physical, I always leave the office feeling humiliated that the reception staff know what I have just been through.

[quote author=exam doc link=topic=28517.msg295030#msg295030 date=1274648182]

After a physical, I always leave the office feeling humiliated that the reception staff know what I have just been through.

[/quote]

Maybe I'm the only one that feels this way, but sometimes I think it's kind of hot to know that the reception staff knows what I just went through. I mean, as I'm checking out and paying my insurance co-pay, they're looking at my bill -- they know what procedures have been done to me -- they know that I might have been there for a full physical exam and had to completely undress -- they know the codes for my diagnosis. So if they look at me with a knowing glance that says "I know what the doctor just did to you" -- well, that's OK with me.

It's similar to the feeling that I get when the doctor or nurse is sitting in front of my holding my balls and asks me to cough for her. What do I think about? I sometimes think about the people outside the exam room, perhaps walking by and hearing me cough. Or the people that are on the exam rooms on either side of me. I know that they know (because of hearing me cough) that at that moment the doctor has her hands on my genitals. That's hot.

Everytime i have gone to the walk in clinic the receptionist always ask what i am seeing the doctor for which i do not mind as they need to find out for scheduling for the doctor as some visits might take longer. i also think 99% of them are professional and not concerned about telling them the problem. last time i had to tell her i had a red soreness on my penis which ended up being a yeast infection.

When I was about 14, we had a receptionist at the doctors who also helped out with some of the less important tasks. Her family was poor so she did 2 jobs. One in a nearby office till about 5:30 in the evening and then at the doctors till about 10:00 pm. The doctor's evening timings were 6-9:30 pm. So it worked for her. She would do things like manage his appointments, send people into the doctors chamber, help with bandaging simple wounds, holding people (specially kids) down when they got injections, etc ! She was not very pretty but had a homely face and a nice figure. She would always ask what was wrong - just so that she could offer a word of sympathy and her usual "Dont worry, the doctor will make you well soon." Once late in the evening, I went to the clinic to collect some tablets for an old neighbour and saw her coming out of the doctors chamber with a smile on her face. From inside the chamber, I could hear wailing. "Injection!" she said to me and began to wash her hands at the sink. There was no one else in the clinic at that hour. So I waited till she counted out the tablets into a sachet. The wailing child and its parent walked past us out of the clinic. The on a whim, I asked her "Has the doctor ever given you an injection?" She looked up at me sharply. I was afraid that she would scold me for asking a personal question. But noticing my straight face, she nodded. "Last month I felt sick and puked in my other office. When the doctor got in, he saw that I was not looking well and offered to check. He then said it was a stomach infection and decided to give me a course of injections. I had to take one injection every evening for a week." she said. "Your arms must've hurt!" I asked innocently. She handed me the sachet of tablets. "Not just my arms. My bottom as well." she said patting her behind. "He changed the location for every poke. One in each arm, one on each buttock and one on each thigh." she added and shivered and rubbed her arms. "Oh you poor dear" I said sympathetically as I handed her the money. "I cried during every injection and then again at night when I got home because the pain got worse at night." She said. I said "I hope you never have to have injections again. But if you ever have to, then call me, I will hold your hand and give you moral support." She patted my head and said. "Oh you are such a dear. I sure will." I went home and dreamt all night of her next injections and how I would hold her hand and give her 'moral support'!

My mom used to work for a doctor that was an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist. At their office they would always ask what the problem was, mostly because of the time slots. A hearing problem meant that they had to be scheduled for an audio, which could take 30 minutes, so they would put someone with a nose problem in between. During certain seasons the throat exams would be staggered to allow an initial prep for a scope, and then fifteen minutes later that actual exam; it was down to a pretty exact science how they slotted people in. I can understand privacy issues, and it obviously depends on what's wrong with how much you want to disclose. If you say that you'd like an appointment with the doctor though, receptionists should get the hint that it's personal.

I'm always asked the reason for scheduling an appointment everytime I call in. I believe it has to do with time scheduling. When I check in with the receptionist, the only time I have to advise what I am there for is for my annual physical. My doctors office requests that so they know to get the room ready.

I'm pretty sure that the posters that mentioned the time slots for patients are correct. They need to know what you are seeing the doctor for, so they know how much time the doctor will need with you. This used to drive me crazy too! My thought was what does she need to know what my problem is, she is not a health care provider and sometimes your condition is a bit embarrassing to be telling just anyone. However I came to realize why they were asking and that helped a little, since I now knew they were not just being snoopy.

I hate receptionists that do that. I went to my doctors doubled over and in agony looking for an emergency appointment and she took one look at me and said I would have to wait as its probably wind. I was so shocked and tried to argue the point and then she checked her computer and said there were no appointments anyway and would have to go to a walk in centre and the nearest one was miles away. I was not happy. Turned out to be a very painful kidney infection so she was wrong. grrr silly receptionist, they should leave it to the professionals.

Most of the doctors I have seen have had receptionists who knew what to ask and the way to ask it. Their questions have been designed to identifying whether my complaint required a trip to the ER or an office visit. One of the problems I have with the new "phone trees" that many medical offices now use is that they tell you "if this is a true medical emergency, to hang up and call 911". And most people don't understand what a "true medical emergency, is or is not, short of someone collapsing with chest pains.

But my mother had a wonderful response when her GYN's receptionist asked something out of line. She sweetly replied, "I didn't know you had your MD, Mildred, but if I am mistaken, please put the doctor on."

In adolescence waiting with the receptionist always made me nervous, especially when she read my mind and said, "I hope you don't need a shot!"

I have no problem telling the receptionist on the phone why I want to see the doctor. True they are not doctors but they are a part of the doctors team. Anything you tell them should be held in confidence. I think it helps them to know in advance the general purpose of your visit. They may have different rooms for various procedures. If you take your car to a dealer for service, the service writer will ask you what the problem is. If you tell him it squealing wheels he may send you to the brake area. If your complaint is a thumping noise in the transmission it helps him to know that also. I had to make a follow up appt once for a minor surgery by my GP. I was happy to tell the receptionist why when I called. Its because I was put into a room set up for small surgeries, and the doctor only did the surgeries before the lunch hour, after he was done with his morning patients. If I had just asked for an appt wiht no reason I may have been given an appt in the morning and had to wait, or perhaps come another day if another proceduree was scheduled.

Along the same lines, I do not like standing in the waiting room and have the receptionist ask me details about what the problem is when other people are in the room waiting. Put in an embarassing position once I reminded the receptionist that there are HIPA procedures and that it was rude to ask in such an open and public way. If pushed, I have responded that I gave the reason when I made the appt.

Several years ago I had bilateral inguinal hernia surgery. The doctor did most of his surgeries on Thursday. Consequently most of his surgery follow up visits were on the following Monday. On Friday after the surgery my scrotum swelled up to the size of an extremely large papaya. It was not painful, and there was some discoloration. I called the doctors office and was told by the nurse that that was normal after that type of surgery.

On Monday, I gingerly walked into the doctors office with my scrotum still swollen to an abnormal size. I was sore from the surgery, and my scrotum was tender, but not hurting. I saw other guys come in walking the same as I did and I knew they must have also had the hernia surgery. As I sat in the waiting, a girl on his office staff began talking to the other girls behind the counter. I heard her tell the other girls that she had walked into a room with something for the doctor as he was examining a patient. She said she had never seen anything so big, and the girls started laughing and giggling. Based on the circumstances and her gestures, I'm guessing it was another swollen scrotum. I mentioned it to the doctor who said he would take care of it.

They might need to know a little info to make the appointments but nothing more than some general info

Years ago my wife and I were going to a primary care physician that we really liked. He was practicing with another doctor and they had an excellent office staff. We could call them and if we knew we just needed a prescription for a common condition, they would mention it to the doctor and he would call in the prescription without the need of an appointment. If we needed an appointment, we got one in a timely manner without questions. When he split from the other doctor and got his own staff, they developed into the totally opposite temperament. They required all issues to be addressed with an appointment and they wanted to know all the details for the appointments. After telling the doctor that we were dissatisfied with the conduct of his office staff and getting no change in their behavior, we switched to a different medical office. As it turned out, it was a very good move. Our new doctor is even better than the one we left and the staff is extremely helpful without being intrusive.

There are ways the staff can triage you (rate your immediate need) without asking questions that violate your privacy. Just asking a regular patient with no history of hypochondria if their need is immediate will usually do.

There is nothing wrong with the office staff asking why you need to see the doctor. I think it is a damn good idea the doctor has an idea prior to entering the exam room. If you are too embarrassed to discuss the issue with the office staff either get over it or just be honest and say it is an embarrassing problem. Lead, follow or just get out of the way.

I depend on the nurses history and drug and allergy history to expedite my history. In turn the patient has to give a complaint to the registration clerk. It's no problem seems to me. Rarely do patients refuse. Sometimes they give an overly general or nonspecific complaint. It's a waste of my time. Also the nurses need to know which room to put the patient--surgical, orthopedic, gyn, medical or acute care.

I can relate to the OP situation. At my local GP surgery, it does indeed seem like its the "Spanish inquisition" when trying to get an appointment. You are under no obligation to inform them of your reasons for wanting to see your GP. I do bring them down a peg or two at times for being overly aggressive or intrusive with their questions or enquires.

Since in the UK they have no professional training, and as such they not bound by the rules of confidentiality, so you are quite within your rights to refuse to disclose anything of a very personal nature, and well within your rights to have their actions or behaviour redressed by the Practice Manager.

As is often the case when sitting in the waiting room , you can clearly hear their conversations between themselves, between them and the arriving patient or during a telephone conversation. Names, conditions , diagnosis can clearly be overheard.

One of the receptionists at my Drs surgery is like a Rotweiller waiting to get a good bone !!!

If she answers to me when I call I refuse point blank to talk to her. Her people skills are dreadful. She is related to one of the Drs in the practice.

She always asks what is wrong with you , although I never tell her as its none of her business . She gets really Irate when you tell her so .

If you ask for an appointment the same day she always says ' you can use the Walk in Centre you know '

Her and I have had many arguments over the years . I'm sure she must be near retiring age.

Nikki

It seems the American members are often more tolerant of receptionists than we are in the UK. I suppose it's possible that in the USA, the receptionists are less abrasive, condescending, contemptuous and judgmental than they are here in the UK. If American receptionists are genuinely helpful and have a manner that suggests so, perhaps American patients will respond better.

Here, the attitude that patients get in the way of the work seems to have been prevalent since my childhood, so it is not a very recent development. Sometimes they have god complexes and believe they wield total power over the patients as if they are shielding doctors from having to actually see them.

Think I'm joking? Come and live in the UK, register with a GP and then try getting an appointment. Better still, if you really want to have some fun, try attending the GP's reception desk instead of just phoning.

Maybe it's true. Our clerks are always kind and have been instructed to never embarrass the patient. To whit, I once had a patient tell the clerk he had constipation. In fact he had a claw hammer in his rectum. The surgeon wasn't one bit happy to have to come in in the middle of the night.

It seems the American members are often more tolerant of receptionists than we are in the UK. I suppose it's possible that in the USA, the receptionists are less abrasive, condescending, contemptuous and judgmental than they are here in the UK. If American receptionists are genuinely helpful and have a manner that suggests so, perhaps American patients will respond better.

Here, the attitude that patients get in the way of the work seems to have been prevalent since my childhood, so it is not a very recent development. Sometimes they have god complexes and believe they wield total power over the patients as if they are shielding doctors from having to actually see them.

Think I'm joking? Come and live in the UK, register with a GP and then try getting an appointment. Better still, if you really want to have some fun, try attending the GP's reception desk instead of just phoning.

That's sad. Do you think it may be because of the limited choices the average Brit has regarding his healthcare? Maybe NHS employees don't have to be polite since you're pretty much stuck with them. I don't know. Just asking.

I've never been treated rudely by a receptionist (or nurse or doctor) in the U.S.