Most of us have avoided seeing the doctor as much as possible since COVID. Didn’t want to sit in an office with sick patients or be guilted into taking vaccines we didn’t like. Unfortunately, our bodies sometimes betray us. Our hinges get rusty. We have accidents and falls. We do stupid things that strain backs. Sooner or later, we have to submit ourselves to an exam and/or procedure in a health care clinic. We’re confident that the administrators of these facilities are masters in pain management. But sometimes they seem totally clueless. For example, if you need a back x ray, you’re forced to lie face down on a narrow table. After they get the needed pictures, pain intervenes, and you can’t get up off the table. At that point, the technician has no recourse but to yank you up to make room for the next patient. That’s when you experience torture on the X Ray table.

TORTURE ON THE X-RAY TABLE if you have a bad back and can't get up.

TORTURE ON THE X-RAY TABLE will happen unless they have machines designed for patients with bad backs.

I have to admit that I embarrassed everyone at that point, because I heard a loud yell coming from my own throat. Excuse me, but this is not acceptable in a clinic where many patients can hear you. Bad optics. After all, it’s not like you’re having a baby. Except, it hurts every bit as much, although maybe for a shorter period of time. Quickly, they ushered me back into the patient waiting room and firmly shut the door.

The doctor was cheerful and friendly. He listened carefully and treated me successfully for the bad shoulder and back joints I’d originally come in to complain about. He did the best he could for the back sprain I’d just recently acquired. . But now it was too late , because I had a new pain caused by the rough treatment of the x ray technician. And it still hurts.

Should I blame the technician involved ?. Not really. Because if the facility administrators had cared to make the investment, there are x ray machines designed for patients with back injuries. I suppose they’re a bit pricey, but I would have paid for the contraption myself to avoid that pain. No, it wasn’t the quality of patient care that I objected to. It was torture on the X Ray Table.

If you visited a doctor yesterday, you’re apt to receive a telephone call today around dinner time. The hospital he’s affiliated with wants to know if you were pleased with him/ her. Since your meal has been interrupted, you may not wish to participate in their survey at all. Here’s a suggestion for hospitals and other health care providers: Please stop annoying health care phone surveys.

annoying health care phone surveys often come at dinner — ANNOYING HEALTH CARE PHONE SURVEYS often comes the next day after you’ve seen a doctor–which is too soon to evaluate the care you received.

There are several questions they want you to answer. But the most ridiculous one, to me, is: How happy are you with your doctor’s treatment? Does anyone like having their nose cauterized? Even if you give a positive answer, you may change your mind a few days later when you get another nosebleed. There is absolutely no way of judging the efficacy of a doctor’s treatment a day later. Here’s why:

He could have misdiagnosed your problem. But you won’t know that within twenty four hours. Weeks or months later, if you’re still getting nosebleeds, having pain, or losing weight , you will realize he didn’t really help you at all. But now, it’s too late to complain. He was cheerful and friendly and confident. So you gave him an A plus or a 5 or whatever scoring system they use. Now, you might want to change your survey answers but that ship has already sailed.

Here’s another one: Were we able to answer all your questions? The doctor may have responded when you asked something like, “how long will this last,” Or “how did this happen?” but the answer may have been vague or ambiguous..

One question they could ask– but never do–is this: Do you think your doctor ordered too many tests? Many tests may be important, but there’s no way of knowing. And no health care facility is going to complain if a CT Scan costing the patient or his insurance about $3,000 was unnecessary. Which they often are. But when you’re frightened that you may have a serious disease, you willingly go along with uncomfortable and expensive procedures.

Once, I had a very unpleasant experience during laparoscopic knee surgery. . The nurse was rude, stabbed me with a needle numerous times to draw blood, and complained my veins were too small. The anesthesiologist gave me a total knee block instead of a partial, without asking my preference. When I received a survey, I filled it out honestly and described my displeasure. But I didn’t mail it, because I wanted to see if the procedure was successful. Which I wouldn’t know for several weeks. It was successful—no more knee pain. But the surgeon became angry when I voiced my complaints on our follow up visit. Several months later I finally mailed in that survey and didn’t change a thing.

Please, stop the senseless health care telephone surveys. They are annoying, and in no way provide an accurate evaluation.. The way someone rates their health care provider after twenty four hours may not reflect the quality of care they received..