So here's a health care issue I am not sure I know how to fix.
Any doctor recommended by a friend in DC is tough to see. If you're a new patient, the chances of getting in within a 4 month window seem to be slim to none. If you are a regular patient, it's often tricky to get an appointment earlier than a month out.
What happens if you have something that's not emergency room crisis but also can't wait a month? There are all shades of gray in between. The options are waiting to see if it gets to emergency room crisis level or tie up the emergency room when it's not an emergency? This seems so inefficient.
There has got to be a better way.
2 comments:
My primary care doctor in northern Virginia has a policy that you get an appointment either the day you call or the next day. (Physicals get scheduled months in advance, but for everything else you are guaranteed an appointment.) In addition, any time she has referred me to a specialist, she has been able to get me seen within a couple weeks.
I have never seen another practice group work as well as this, and it is a gem. It's certainly possible for docs to give us better quality of care, they just have to want it and be a bit creative.
Sounds like you found a good one.
I am hoping that comprehensive reform will usher in a new era of how we view health care altogether.
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