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New to this whole "doctor" thing
Bucketman
Call meSkraggRegistered User regular
Call meSkraggRegistered User regular
Hello thread, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit this, but I haven't been to see a doctor in a long while. I have insurance, its pretty alright at that, but I haven't been. So I decided new year, new me and all that, I should go about it. I have a list of local doctors who are covered by my insurance, and am going to be doing some research, but I haven't every seen a "new" doctor before. I saw the same one from age 5 until I was like 26 and stopped going. So when I do choose a physician, is there anything I need to get them? Like records or tell them of any conditions I might have, or is that all going to be in my HIPPA records they should be able to get?
I know this is a stupid question, but I really have no clue.
I know this is a stupid question, but I really have no clue.
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Then they'll go over that with you. Probably do some blood work and check your vision, as well as regular vitals.
Blood work will likely require a followup visit for the results.
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
1) Depending on how long it has been since you last saw your doctor and if that doctor is still in practice your previous medical records might not be accessible.
2) Depending on the area the wait for a new patient to see a General Practitioner could be a few months. Keep that in mind and make those calls sooner rather than later.
More importantly, I just want to reinforce your decision to go. Routine physicals are easy and important. A few years ago routine blood work caught a life threatening condition in me and I probably would have had a heart attack and maybe died without it. So, good on you for finally going!
Most offices are used to this request, so it should be fairly routine. As was noted, there's a chance the records were either destroyed or placed in some sort of long term storage, but it's worth the effort of a phone call. If possible, try to find a time of day when the office traffic volume is fairly low, or ask them if there is a better time of day (and/or week) to call.
They won't send the records without some sort of release authorization paperwork being filled out and signed first - at least they shouldn't, legally, anyway.
You probably won't need your old records though unless there's something unusual about your health history, or you're going to be trying to get your new doctor to prescribe medication based on a past diagnosis that they can't quickly confirm on their own.
You are correct. I forgot about this step.
There are all kinds of reviews of different doctors online that you can find. One thing to note is that unlike other types of reviews, physicians aren't able to respond to reviews publicly because of privacy concerns, so keep that in mind as you look around. I personally like using referrals from people I know when finding a doctor or more frequently, a new dentist. Then you can ask more detailed questions that are relevant to what you are looking for in your provider.
I cycled through several doctors over a couple years because I couldn't find one I liked. You eventually can get good at the oral history the doctors love to not listen to. I am super happy with my current one and that makes a ton of difference for me. As you age you start seeing them regular enough that it really pays to find one that clicks.
It's pretty easy to do this. Just find a doctor who's accepting new patients, sign up, and try to get your free (assuming you have insurance) annual physical. You'll probably have to arrive early to fill out a bunch of paperwork (which is a one time thing). Part of the physical should involve a blood draw, for which you should stop eating/drinking anything besides water beginning at least 8 hours prior.
I went through not-a-ton of trouble with my new doctor (after a long break myself) near the end of 2016 despite generally-bad respiratory health and asthma; if you're up to date on whatever is a problem for you, they can usually get up to speed unless the physical finds something alarming.
I am probably gonna need to get him to recommend / refer an ENT guy at some point soon, but overall it's been pretty painless, much to my surprise.
Online reviews of doctors are 100% useless because all of them seem to read "Receptionist is a witch, 1/5 stars" - rarely any constructive information.
As far as your medical records go, if you want the new doc to have them it's best to fill out a records request form. Either at your new doctor's office, or go to your previous physician's office and fill out a request there. Have them copy and mail them to the new doctor's office instead of taking them yourself. Most doctor's offices will send your records to another facility at no charge as a courtesy. If you hand carry the records, they'll probably charge you for them. Where I work it's $1 per page for the first 25 pages and 25 cents for every additional page.
Small correction, transfer of information between providers for clinical care does not require permission. All you need to know is the contact info of your pediatric physician's clinic
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
I've managed multiple physicians' offices in the past 10 years, and there is not a single one I have ever worked at that would transfer records without signed authorization unless it was an absolute emergency.
http://www.physicianspractice.com/blog/seven-legal-errors-practices-make-when-handling-medical-records
"HIPAA generally allows for disclosure of medical records for “treatment, payment, or healthcare operations” absent a written request. However, most state laws require record requests to be in writing and signed by the patient. I recommend you always obtain a signed, written release in a nonemergency situation, whether required by law or not."
My bad, I am more familiar with hospital/academic center-clinic record transfers, where authorization to release health information is usually not performed because of an existing business association agreement. However, since the new physician is unlikely to have an association with the pediatrician's practice, an authorization will likely be requested for reasons of liability.
However, depending on state law, health networking, and underlying clinic protocol, the failure to request authorization to release health information does not necessarily reflect on the competence of the clinic.
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.