Personal cell number

[SerrateAndDominate]

As a pathologist, I often think about how many hours I spend a day trying to get through to a physician or non-physician practitioner with patient results. If only I could bill for this time! Critical values, new malignancies, clinical questions . . .. these all require communication. Why do so many physician offices make it so difficult? The worst is when there is a critical value on a weekend. Good luck trying to get hold of someone to tell about platelets below 10,000 or a new leukemia. I can't comprehend how so many physician offices don't even have an answering service.

<steps off soapbox>

My group contracts with a nearby hospital. Since the hospital keeps the technical fee (fairly so since it's their equipment, but they've also gobbled up former clients), we have an hourly rate for "lab director" duties aka anything that doesn't have a CPT code attached to it. If I'm on the phone waiting for a doc or midlevel, the hospital gets billed in 0.1 unit increments

I only see patients for bone marrow procedures. I give them my office/lab number if they have questions but try to preemptively tell them about pain management and turnaround times.

[Tim]

Instant hang up or did you ream him out first?

Put the phone down and continue on.
Do you miss landlines? Pressing the buttons you could actually play a tune. Da, da, dasaaaaaaaaaaaa.

[toofy]

One drug company found a frickin awesome way to get through to me: Dr Smith called asking for me. Patched through. Was Dr. Smith from India to tell me about a new drug. Jeez!

I've had that happen several times. I always ask them "you want to build a business relationship with me, but you want to start the relationship with a lie?"
Always silence or stuttering.

[Chreeto]

I'm a PCP and there was a time in the beginning of my career that I gave out my number to a few select patients. And guess what? They called me when they were sick or needed clarity on the plan of care. Patient's perceive the quality of care as spectacular when they have easy access to you and it felt good to me to provide that level of care. But, for me, I learned quickly that this level of care is sustainable only in a lower volume practice with less medically and psychiatrically ill patients (concierge, anyone?). It's a complete set up for burnout to do otherwise, IMO. I enjoy medicine but I also enjoy my time after hours and on the weekends. There are some physicians who don't mind being frequently accessible and some carry on into their 70's and 80's in this manner, which is amazing to me. But that's not me and I tend to think it's not most physicians, for the long haul at least.

[F0017S0]

I gave mine out to select clinical trial subjects in the drug studies I ran; that way I could give directions as the study coordinator (with my PI’s blessing, of course).

For the monitoring studies, no way (we told them the symptoms to look for and those in monitoring had a family history of the condition in question).

[Lordosis]

If it’s the best or most warranted drug or product, prescribe it (begrudgingly) because you’re looking out for the patient’s best interest.

If there’s a different prescription drug with comparable efficacy, order that instead. If there’s a generic that’s just as effective, order that unless there’s some crazy reason not to.

In my experience if they are out peddling a drug it is usually something that has several equivalents and they are just trying to market their brand.

But honestly I have not seen or talked to a drug rep in years. Even before the pandemic. I would not agree to attend any meeting unless it was a novel drug and something I am likely to prescribe over generic equivalents. I don't need panara bad enough to hear about eliquis for the seventh time.

[Hank]

I would not prescribe it out of spite!

If it’s the best or most warranted drug or product, prescribe it (begrudgingly) because you’re looking out for the patient’s best interest.

If there’s a different prescription drug with comparable efficacy, order that instead. If there’s a generic that’s just as effective, order that unless there’s some crazy reason not to.

[Kamban]

One drug company found a frickin awesome way to get through to me: Dr Smith called asking for me. Patched through. Was Dr. Smith from India to tell me about a new drug. Jeez!

Happened to me about 10-20 years ago when my front desk would say that Dr. Patel or your friend Patel is on the line wanting to speak to you. And it was a Patel the stock broker touting a hot new company's stock. After ti happened 2 times, I refused to take any calls unless I could recognize the name. I always asked them to leave their number and reason for their call in order for me to call back. Invariably they refused or hung up.

[Lordosis]

Not interested, never call again, add to do not call list. I wish I’d remembered what company/drug.

I would not prescribe it out of spite!

[gap55u]

Instant hang up or did you ream him out first?

Not interested, never call again, add to do not call list. I wish I’d remembered what company/drug.

[Lordosis]

One drug company found a frickin awesome way to get through to me: Dr Smith called asking for me. Patched through. Was Dr. Smith from India to tell me about a new drug. Jeez!

Instant hang up or did you ream him out first?

[Hank]

One drug company found a frickin awesome way to get through to me: Dr Smith called asking for me. Patched through. Was Dr. Smith from India to tell me about a new drug. Jeez!

Ah yes, Dr. Smith of the Hyderabad Smiths?

[gap55u]

I have made it explicitly clear with my secretary that I should be interrupted when a physician calls looking to talk to me.

One drug company found a frickin awesome way to get through to me: Dr Smith called asking for me. Patched through. Was Dr. Smith from India to tell me about a new drug. Jeez!

[nastle]

Every time a physician calls himself a provider, God kills a kitten.

Please think of the kittens.

No a puppy , and he writes his obituary with puppy tears

[Savedfpdoc]

During covid peak we were very short staffed etc and I started giving my cell out bc I thought it was not safe for someone w covid to not be able to call the office and let me know they were feeling worse etc. calls were just not being answered by our front desk bc they had a line of 10-20 people trying to check for testing etc. now 2yrs later I’m getting texts on weekends for ear pain, pink eye, xanax…for these I won’t respond till next business day and I’ll have my staff call them. Patients are slowly getting the hint. I have asked a few repeat offenders to “please call the office for refills/appts during normal business hours.”