I just got off the phone with the cancer center, and my oncologist's nurse.
My last oncologist visit was back in July. I was scheduled again for Oct., but had to cancel. I called to get another appointment, and they can't get me in until Feb. ???? They explained that due to the recent upswing in Covid cases, protocols have changed. In fact, there have been LOTS of changes. The changes are more about protecting the hospital from liability issues, rather than protecting the patients.
While I've not heard of hospitals being sued, if patients might have contracted Covid in their facilities, apparently the cancer center I go to, which is part of the hospital, IS concerned about these type lawsuits, if not now, then in the future.
They did the normal thing about calling when you arrive for your appointment, then sitting in your car, until they text you to enter. When I go see my oncologist, they do my blood work right there, when the doctor leaves the room. Not anymore. They only do in-house labs and diagnostics now, meaning if you aren't in the E.R., or admitted, they won't do labs or diagnostics on you. All EXTRA nursing staff, diagnostic staff and lab staff, were let go. The line of thinking is, the fewer of their own people that you come into contact with, the less likely you are of catching anything from their personnel. Again, this is NOT about protecting the patients, as much as it is about relieving them of liability.
Now, when my oncologist orders blood work, CT scans, Pet Scans, Bone Scans, Bone Density scans, etc. They can't do them there anymore. Instead, they will send me to Lab Corp, or Quest Diagnostics to get blood work done. These are more like mass production labs. I get to sit in the waiting room, with 25 or more other people, waiting my turn. Hey, it's safe. Everybody's wearing their masks, and are 6 feet apart. There's much less risk of exposure, than the nurse at my oncologist's office doing a blood draw, right?
Now that they don't do any of the medical device diagnostics, they send everyone to Tower Diagnostics. This too, is a mass production medical device diagnostic center. From X-rays, Ultrasounds, CT scans, etc. they herd in the masses, and crank out the tests. Once again, I'm sitting in a waiting room, with 25 or more people waiting our turns, but totally safe, because we're all wearing masks, and 6 feet apart.
Actually, I have a semi-sneaky way of getting some of this done, without having to use these "herd the masses" diagnostic centers.
Anyway, all of this came out, sort of as an excuse for someone having dropped the ball from my last visit in July, then again in Oct. In July, at my regular oncologist appointment, my doctor renewed my cancer meds, and ordered a diagnostic test. I had my blood drawn, and left. I never heard back about scheduling the diagnostic test. Even when it's not done there, they do call you because you need the referral, prescription, or whatever, to get things done. No follow up. It's time sensitive too. Part of the blood work, is a liver panel, which they have to have a current one, before administering the dyes. On Oct. 9, I was going to mention it to my doctor, but had to cancel that appointment, BUT I did speak to her nurse about it. She said she would re-submit the orders, and someone would get back to me.
I'm about to run out of one of my cancer meds (It comes from a specialty pharmacy). I got to thinking about it, and they had not resumed delivery since July (I get 6 month's worth at a time). I called them. I was told that they never got a new prescription, and the old one had run out. They were going to e-mail my doctor's office. About an hour later, the specialty pharmacy called me back. They had e-mailed, and someone named Carmen responded that they could find no current info on me, nor any prescription for the medication. They asked me to call my doctor's office. I did. I spoke with my doctor's nurse. She's the one I spoke to on Oct. 9, that resent all the doctor's orders. We had already gotten a plan of action in regards to the diagnostics, BUT I brought it to her attention about what the specialty pharmacy had said.
Not only did someone drop the ball in regards to sending them my prescription, BUT she too couldn't figure out who Carmen was, or why Carmen didn't know I'm still a current patient, or that my prescription was to be renewed. That will be taken care of today.
One of the things I love about where I go, is they are all networked, and I can log in to My Chart, and get everything. I get test results, lab results, as soon as the doctor does. All medications, refill dates, etc. are in there. All conversations, emails, etc. about me, are in there. Yes, I saw the actual e-mails the pharmacy sent, including the last one requesting prescription renewal. It sure does help a lot, when situations like this arise. I'll look in a little bit, and make sure they sent the prescription.
My last oncologist visit was back in July. I was scheduled again for Oct., but had to cancel. I called to get another appointment, and they can't get me in until Feb. ???? They explained that due to the recent upswing in Covid cases, protocols have changed. In fact, there have been LOTS of changes. The changes are more about protecting the hospital from liability issues, rather than protecting the patients.
While I've not heard of hospitals being sued, if patients might have contracted Covid in their facilities, apparently the cancer center I go to, which is part of the hospital, IS concerned about these type lawsuits, if not now, then in the future.
They did the normal thing about calling when you arrive for your appointment, then sitting in your car, until they text you to enter. When I go see my oncologist, they do my blood work right there, when the doctor leaves the room. Not anymore. They only do in-house labs and diagnostics now, meaning if you aren't in the E.R., or admitted, they won't do labs or diagnostics on you. All EXTRA nursing staff, diagnostic staff and lab staff, were let go. The line of thinking is, the fewer of their own people that you come into contact with, the less likely you are of catching anything from their personnel. Again, this is NOT about protecting the patients, as much as it is about relieving them of liability.
Now, when my oncologist orders blood work, CT scans, Pet Scans, Bone Scans, Bone Density scans, etc. They can't do them there anymore. Instead, they will send me to Lab Corp, or Quest Diagnostics to get blood work done. These are more like mass production labs. I get to sit in the waiting room, with 25 or more other people, waiting my turn. Hey, it's safe. Everybody's wearing their masks, and are 6 feet apart. There's much less risk of exposure, than the nurse at my oncologist's office doing a blood draw, right?
Now that they don't do any of the medical device diagnostics, they send everyone to Tower Diagnostics. This too, is a mass production medical device diagnostic center. From X-rays, Ultrasounds, CT scans, etc. they herd in the masses, and crank out the tests. Once again, I'm sitting in a waiting room, with 25 or more people waiting our turns, but totally safe, because we're all wearing masks, and 6 feet apart.
Actually, I have a semi-sneaky way of getting some of this done, without having to use these "herd the masses" diagnostic centers.
Anyway, all of this came out, sort of as an excuse for someone having dropped the ball from my last visit in July, then again in Oct. In July, at my regular oncologist appointment, my doctor renewed my cancer meds, and ordered a diagnostic test. I had my blood drawn, and left. I never heard back about scheduling the diagnostic test. Even when it's not done there, they do call you because you need the referral, prescription, or whatever, to get things done. No follow up. It's time sensitive too. Part of the blood work, is a liver panel, which they have to have a current one, before administering the dyes. On Oct. 9, I was going to mention it to my doctor, but had to cancel that appointment, BUT I did speak to her nurse about it. She said she would re-submit the orders, and someone would get back to me.
I'm about to run out of one of my cancer meds (It comes from a specialty pharmacy). I got to thinking about it, and they had not resumed delivery since July (I get 6 month's worth at a time). I called them. I was told that they never got a new prescription, and the old one had run out. They were going to e-mail my doctor's office. About an hour later, the specialty pharmacy called me back. They had e-mailed, and someone named Carmen responded that they could find no current info on me, nor any prescription for the medication. They asked me to call my doctor's office. I did. I spoke with my doctor's nurse. She's the one I spoke to on Oct. 9, that resent all the doctor's orders. We had already gotten a plan of action in regards to the diagnostics, BUT I brought it to her attention about what the specialty pharmacy had said.
Not only did someone drop the ball in regards to sending them my prescription, BUT she too couldn't figure out who Carmen was, or why Carmen didn't know I'm still a current patient, or that my prescription was to be renewed. That will be taken care of today.
One of the things I love about where I go, is they are all networked, and I can log in to My Chart, and get everything. I get test results, lab results, as soon as the doctor does. All medications, refill dates, etc. are in there. All conversations, emails, etc. about me, are in there. Yes, I saw the actual e-mails the pharmacy sent, including the last one requesting prescription renewal. It sure does help a lot, when situations like this arise. I'll look in a little bit, and make sure they sent the prescription.
