audiology appointment BY PHONE

[mumwon]

Dh has received a hearing appointment to be assessed by phone call
This is almost as rich as his phone cardiology appointment
Anybody else had other appointments that make you shake your head!

Loads of pyhsios and OTs shoved into covid as well.

@DarcyJack

Well lots of our vulnerable patients are shielders. So it would be home visits as they are not going out. So really for the most part and if they have any sense they don't want us. Esp when we tell them where we have come from or what our office colleagues do.

Shielders are told to go out for medical appointments. It was pretty much the only thing I left the house for from march to July.

As a Dr on the other end of it we definitely don't want shit phone/ video call assessments if we don't have to. I like doing things the tried and tested way that I am used to and would much rather a F2F appt than struggling with videocall apps.

I have been accused of being too lazy to go out when in fact the patient was in a care home that would not let anyone in not even healthcare staff.

The reason for not doing F2F is spreading infection. Hospitals are a hotbed, PPE is not complete protection by any means and a succession of people coming from all over means you could infect quite a lot of people if you did unwitting have COVID. It has happened eg GPS giving it to patients and no-one wants to be the cause of an outbreak or worst case people dying. Once everyone is vaccinated things should be a lot safer and more normal

Some appts have been surprisingly successful on videocalls though. If the person can give an account of the history or show you the thing pretty easily then it works and saves time and effort for the patient as much as the Dr.

I've certainly had some medical appts in my time that were wholly unnecessary and a waste of everyone's time. 'Routine' follow up appts for my stable renal problem that just needs a blood test. The antenatal clinic where it turned out the obstetrician had not heard of said renal problem and the upshot was she'd write to the renal guy. Two appts wasted on that to find out it has no known effect on pregnancy! Both those could have been dealt with via a phone call much more conveniently.

I would like to keep video/ telephone appts as an option for some patients if the problem lends itself and/ or the patient prefers but also go back to having the freedom for face to face where that is the best option.

I've had the opposite and had the best service I've ever had in the past few weeks.

Did an Econsult on the 1st Feb due to hearing loss in my left side, and admitting my hearing has been fading on my right side for some years.

Was booked in to see GP on 2nd Feb, GP referred to ENT.

ENT phoned me 3rd Feb and booked me in to see Consultant 5th Feb. Consultant wants a CT scan and hearing test to see the damage to my right ear.

CT scan was booked in for 12th Feb. In/scanned/out in 9 minutes.

Audiology appointment came through for 18th Feb. In tested and out in 20 minutes.

Letter came through today for appointment with consultant next week.

I am shooketh!

Yep, not audiology tho. Telephone apt with docs 🙄 dh spoke to them they arranged for me to go in and I have meds for depression within the same day.. but

Never in all my life have I felt out of control, could not book my own apt, cannot go to shops etc, or felt so isolated.

On top of my high BP meds, heart meds, anxiety meds. I'm now on anti depressants..

Oh and I'm still not eligible for a jab

That's fantastic Coppercreek

When I finally got my F2F colorectal appt it was sooo much better than previous clinic experiences. Clinic was running bang on time (usually up to an hr wait), was practically empty and just felt so clean and efficient.

If we got rid of some of the things that don't need to be seen F2F then the experience would be so much better when it was necessary I reckon. I'd love to keep that. A clinic that wasn't overbooked and was running to time could only be dreamt of in the past.

Some of the way we usually do things is just that we usually do and isn't necessary or even wanted by patients. I do hope we can get to some happy medium.

I would like to see Econsults continue. Most appointments I've had with doctors previously have been for things that I know what is wrong with me (I.e ear infection, medication review, kid has tonsillitis etc) and these can be dealt with over the phone freeing up face to face appointments for those who need them

I had a gynaecology appointment over the phone last month and also a dermatology appointment (for a rash I have) next week.

You can definitely go too far with E Consults though

A GP friend told me she has a folder on her work PC labelled 'arseholes' where loads of people have literally sent her unsolicited pics of their arseholes!

Apparently the software has an option to attach a pic if relevant to the problem and people feel it's mandatory

Funnily enough I’ve had my quickest ever hospital appointment during all of this. I have regular treatment on my eye and the clinic is usually me (early 30s) and then every other patient is over 70. Normally I’m there for about two hours (drops, scans, speak with the ophthalmologist and then treatment, with a bit of hanging about in between each step).

I had an appointment at the end of April - I called to check it was still going ahead and was assured it was. I was the only person there - everyone else’s appointment had been cancelled because their age meant they were deemed too high risk to attend. I was in and out in 15 minutes.

I had a telephone appointment with a GP for hyperemesis. Told me to drink more water (when I couldn’t keep it down) and prescribed some more tablets.

DH got me some urine dip sticks as I knew I wasn’t right, which showed ketones +++ in my urine. Ended up going to A&E and being admitted to the emergency gynae ward with a pulse of 150. In hospital for a week with numerous bags of IV fluids and medication via injection.

I believe if my GP had seen me face to face, she would have realised how unwell I was without me having to go to A&E. A&E even told me that I shouldn’t be there and my GP should deal with me - until they realised how unwell I actually was.

My 4 year old DS has got a speech and language assessment over the phone coming up - that’s going to be fun!

I’m starting weekly physio by phone on Monday. I queried it, because I’d been told it would be at my local cottage hospital or by Zoom.

How would anyone prove they got COVID from a appointment though? You can't

DD is literally only leaving the house to go to medical appointments. I imagine that's true of others that are having lots of appointments.
So if she's the only person in the household to catch Covid, I think we can be pretty clear it was from an appointment.

Have mentioned elsewhere DD's hospital appointment. The letter told her she must come alone... at the advanced age of 6 weeks.

Tempting though it was to give the pram a good push into the hospital reception with the letter attached, I did in fact go with her.

That has to be the best one yet
An Unaccompanied 6 week old