Hey all,
I hope you had a good weekend.
Mine isn't over yet but I wanted to tell you this brief story.
You know that I am all about customer service. I am all about never losing a patient.
Knowing this is impossible but if it is my power I would do my best to make everyone happy.
I rarely get calls on the weekend. If I do I absolutely have no problems going in to see a patient.
I feel like it is not the patients fault if something goes wrong on the weekend so I make myself very available.
My home and cell numbers are on the recording when no one is at the office.
So last night I was having a BBQ at a friends house. All the kids were playing and so were the adults. I put my phone and my wallet and keys down when I walked in.
As I was leaving I saw that I missed a call. We were all in a tizzy while trying to get the kids out of this person's house. We got in the car and the car ride is much like getting out of the house...mayhem. When I got home about 12 minutes later I listened to the voice mail.
It is a patient of mine. He had a couple of fillings done a couple months back. It started hurting about 5 days ago. But at dinner it started to really kill.
Then he asked if could please call him back I really in a lot of pain? I think he called at about 7pm.
After I heard the voicemail it was bath time and brushing of teeth, which I am in charge of.
I then got everyone ready for bed and started reading a book to them. In the middle of this my father called me and told me he got a similar voice mail from the same patient. He said he tried to call him back and the patient didn't answer his cell.
I told him I was reading to the kids but I would try to reach him as soon as I am done. At nine o'clock I tried to reach him.
He was not home. He didn't answer his cell phone and for my last ditch effort I called his wife's cell.
Turns out in the one hour we did not call him back he picked up the yellow pages and found a 24 hour dentist. And when I was able to reach the wife he was already at the dentist's office (which was about one mile from my house).
Okay somethings are going through my head.
Is he ticked off at me?
You call someone on Sunday night and is one hour too long to wait to get a return call.
The pain started 5 days ago. When did he realize it was escalating?
I know I am justifying my lackadaisical attitude about calling him back.
So then the wife tells me he is going to get a root canal and the other dentist was going to do it right then.
Now I am a little disappointed in myself.
I tell the wife that maybe the dentist could just give him a carpule of long lasting anesthetic and we could see him in the morning.
She said, "No, we will just have it done."
Then I continue with, "I don't think he is going to finish it tonight (a lower molar)." I guess I was trying to give her some outs. I guess I was trying to see if she would say, "after this episode, when could we get back to see you."
I tell her I am sorry for not getting back to them sooner. I offer anything I can. I tell her I could talk to the dentist if she wants.
She said, "No, it is what it is."
Damn, now I really pissed at myself.
So I wait 'til about 10:45. I call again. They are at the pharmacy and he is feeling a lot better.
He says the dentist instructed him that he was going to have to return the next day to have the root canal finished.
Hmmm?!
So if I am an emergency dentist, is it my job to get someone out of pain, op is it to get patients?
I guess this is me deflecting anger at someone else.
If I ever see some one's patient I always give them an out. I say, "we can numb you up until you can get back there." Or I will say, "I can get you out of pain with a partial root canal then you and your dentist can work it out." Or if the patient broke a tooth...."I can put this temporary crown on your tooth until you can get back to your dentist."
So like the wife said, "it is what it is."
Well, if this were the case, why couldn't I sleep last night?
Was it because I was mad at myself, the patient, or the other dentist?
Was I upset that the patient would have rather seen this dentist than me?
I mean he called me first sure, but he had plenty of outs to break it off with this other guy.
And he didn't.
It is not about the money, it is not about losing a stupid root canal, it is all the other stuff.
I probably should have been there for this guy and I wasn't.
I sure as heck talk a big game but I guess this time I play a good game.
Any thoughts?
Have a good Monday,
Mine is sucking,
john
9 comments:
Don't be so hard on yourself. I feel the same way about my own practice and emergencies. However, my family time has been so important to me, my kids are 16-20 now. My patients who I care about, care enough about me to allow me an hour or so to respond. Especially on a weekend.
Joe
John you should have called him back as soon as you got the voice mail and called him in antibiotic and pain meds. Also no anesthetic is going to last from 7pm till 8am the next morning.
Yes the patient should not have waited 5 days or till Sunday night to call you.
But you could have called him back on you way home not after you gave the kids a bath, brushed their teeth and read a book to them. The phone call would have taken 2 mins and another 5 mins to call the pharmacy. That is why we have cell phones. Just busting your chops. LOL
Sorry John, unless you specifically refer your patients to this dentist, he is fair game. If that dentists tries to persuade his emerg patients to return as regular patients, more power to him, as long as he doesn't bad mouth you or your work.
But you did try. I don't see how you can be available 24-7. Everyone needs to spend some time with friends and family. you did the right thing by putting your kids first.
I think it comes down to patient expectations. These days it seems as if they are unrealistic. Due to the internet etc, everyone can do anything at any time. You can pay a bill at 12:00am, research information or request an appointment on a website. The 24 hr access by computer seems to be raising patient expectations. Here in Indiana, it is still unusual to have a dentist available on the weekend. We see other Dr's emergency patients if they call our number. The patient has the option to call the pager (dr on call, or the on-call dr's cell phone. Many patient's already have their dr's cell on file as we leave it for our post-op calls. (3 drs in office) It is unreasonable for a patient to expect a return call in minutes. On our emergency message, we ask for 1 hour to return a call AND leave an alternate emergency clinic number (if some glitch occurs--dead cell phone, dead pager battery etc). It helps a little to decrease the patient's expectations. If they expect a call in an hour and you DO call back in minutes, you are a hero. At an hour you are still ok. If longer, you may have a problem. I guess its all relative---just educate patients that it may take an hour and some problems (not all) are avoided. The world is full of unreasonable people--just like that review on Google who was incensed to wait "months and months" for insurance reimbursement BUT it was FINE for the dentist to wait that long!!!!@!@@ Your "game" is fine--give yourself a break!
Just as an aside, we send the other dr's patients back if at all possible! I was taught that that is the right thing to do.That is why about 5 docs in the area have had us take call for them when they are on vacation each year. Sometimes it is hard to convince them to go back---emergency visits create really strong ties. We are successful about 95% of the time..
Thank you all for commenting.
I think you are all right.
Family time is good.
Patients expectations should be lower sometimes(problem is I am the one raising them up...I think patients should expect more.)
I think the patient is fair game. I know this and this is what gets me. All patients are fair game really and I think I may have lost this game.
I appreciate you all.
john
Dear John,
I completely appreciate how you feel on this, but please put this in perspective. Your patient, who had pain for 5 days, waits until Sunday night to call you? I understand you have a 24 hour emergency protocol, but can we please ask the patient to take SOME responsibility for his own health? Why wait until Sunday night?
I agree that maybe you should have called him as soon as you received his message, but don't feel bad if you lose this patient. Patients who don't appreciate that you are only human and are trying your best are not the ones you need to fill your office with.
Take it easy brother. That patient is someone else's problem now. You didn't really let him down, he let himself down by waiting for 5 days to MAKE A SIMPLE PHONE CALL.
KenJ
I think it comes down to patient expectations. These days it seems as if they are unrealistic. Due to the internet etc, everyone can do anything at any time. You can pay a bill at 12:00am, research information or request an appointment on a website. The 24 hr access by computer seems to be raising patient expectations. Here in Indiana, it is still unusual to have a dentist available on the weekend. We see other Dr's emergency patients if they call our number. The patient has the option to call the pager (dr on call, or the on-call dr's cell phone. Many patient's already have their dr's cell on file as we leave it for our post-op calls. (3 drs in office) It is unreasonable for a patient to expect a return call in minutes. On our emergency message, we ask for 1 hour to return a call AND leave an alternate emergency clinic number (if some glitch occurs--dead cell phone, dead pager battery etc). It helps a little to decrease the patient's expectations. If they expect a call in an hour and you DO call back in minutes, you are a hero. At an hour you are still ok. If longer, you may have a problem. I guess its all relative---just educate patients that it may take an hour and some problems (not all) are avoided. The world is full of unreasonable people--just like that review on Google who was incensed to wait "months and months" for insurance reimbursement BUT it was FINE for the dentist to wait that long!!!!@!@@ Your "game" is fine--give yourself a break!
You need to set some boundaries. You own a dental practice, not a 24 hr fast food restaurant. You need patients who value the wonderful service that you provide, not those who take advantage of the generosity that you provide. Don't beat yourself up over this. Life is too short. Balance of work time and family time is the key.
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