Primary Care

Primary care doctors are medical quarterbacks. Primary care doctors refer a patient to specialists like quarterbacks call football plays. They are like mainframes - eeking out bits of information to those computers networked with it. Most primary care doctors know how the system works but then, there are those who don't, much to the dismay of their patients. I recently experienced a doctor who didn't. She was actually afraid to make a referral to a specialist. Her words indicated she couldn't make a referral but evidently her mouth and hands were not connected because as she was saying she couldn't make a referral because she didn't quite know what the specialist would recommend, she was writing a referral. I was lucky to have an advocate with me. He couldn't believe what he had witnessed. The appointment was for a physical exam and a referral for physical therapy. Instead of an examination, the doctor spent the time defending herself to the advocate and never did the examination. She left the room stating she had a headache. Needless to say since that "exam", a new primary care doctor has been selected. Have you experienced a similar situation?