Fire Your Doctor? Maybe.
I have a doctor I really like. But she's never around. She only works three days a week and they're never the days I need a prescription filled or a question answered. I have to call her office a couple of times to get a prescription renewed. My last one waited five days before she refilled it, and I ran out. So, should I fire her? That's a question Kristen Gerencher asks in her WSJ article on the subject. She writes, "If you're frustrated with communication problems, a disorganized staff or a doctor's poor bedside manner, a change may keep your health—and health costs—from suffering." Gerencher gives as the main reasons patients switch doctors (which actually doesn't happen very often, due to the hassles): Unclear explanations Delays in getting test results Hard-to-resolve billing issues (my all-time favorite: the man charged for a hysterectomy) Rushed office visits "Like in any relationship, sometimes the chemistry just i...