If you have a medical problem, or something is bothering you or a member of your family, The Jackson County Times now has a local physician, Dr. John Spence, of the Panhandle Family Care Associates available to respond to your questions.
The medical field often to the layman seems cloaked in a shroud of mystery. Why does my doctor do what he does? Why can’t I get an appointment? Why do I have to wait three hours to be seen? Why won’t my doctor listen to me?
As a small town doc, I have attempted here to unravel some of these mysteries and perhaps improve your doctor-patient relationship and overall impression of the medical field. This is the first of a three part series.
Overview: I would like to presume that all patients are ultimately satisfied with their medical care. The reality, however, is that many remain frustrated with long waits, poor communication with their physician and growing expense. Data suggests the average doctor sees 20-25 patients per day, but my experience is otherwise. Many physicians feel overworked, underpaid and under appreciated – there is a growing trend away from primary care. When asked whether they would again choose medicine as a career given the opportunity, many physicians suggest that they would not. Is there any way we can coordinate our efforts as patients and doctor so that we can both live harmoniously and without disdain.
Appointment Scheduling: My pet peeve is poor scheduling. I demand my patients be seen in a timely fashion whenever necessary and with minimal wait. With increasing demand, it is nearly impossible to provide either. Sadly, many patients must wait weeks or months to see their physician. There is no proven method to solve this dilemma. I prefer at least fifteen minutes per visit. There are numerous factors however that prevent this from becoming a reality. There is always demand. Certainly, patients with severe chest pain need more immediate assistance and this can bog down the system. My costs, as your own, rarely decrease. With inflation, medical costs continue to rise at an astronomical rate. I am forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars every month on office mortgage, staff medical insurance, employee wages, liability and disability insurance, malpractice, supplies etc. Medicaid reimbursement is poor at best and Medicare continues to threaten cuts in reimbursement each year. How do physicians’ offset these changes? Obviously, to maintain if not increase revenue, more patients must be seen.
For those of us in large groups with fixed salaries, bonuses may be based on the total number of patients seen or on total revenue, not on quality of care. We are forced to see more than is reasonable or comfortable in order to "get ahead". The reality is that most physicians seek careers in medicine to help and serve patients. But like anyone else, they want financial security and all the benefits that derive from it, general practitioners on average train for eleven years past high school. There is great animosity when physicians earn less than some pharmaceutical reps or car salesmen. Does higher education not equal higher pay? We are not money hungry as many may suggest; but we are driven to achieve financial and academic success.
I suggest that patients find a doctor who spends 10-15 minutes with them on average. We owe it to our patients – there is no excuse!!
Do you have any medical questions or concerns that you would like addressed? You can contact Dr. Spence by filling out the form on the webiste or by mailing your question to Daily Dose, P.O. Box 6107, Marianna, FL 32446.
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