tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post7917937258586841608..comments2024-03-18T17:51:23.018-04:00Comments on MD Whistleblower: How Do Physicians Choose Consultants? Looking ‘Under the Radar’Michael Kirsch, M.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07555280388086931097noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post-37413738847126463392010-06-19T15:10:44.114-04:002010-06-19T15:10:44.114-04:00@anonymous, I certainly see your point and do not ...@anonymous, I certainly see your point and do not challenge you. On the other side, physicians often receive phone calls from patients who are attempting to have 'an office visit on the phone', perhaps,to save time or money. I'll handle simple questions on the phone, as I do every day, but I don't think it's fair to the patient or to me to be evaluating new or changing symptoms on the phone. In you own case where you state that the physician would not give lab work on the phone. What if your cholesterol or PSA were elevated? The discussions that these results would generate seem like office visit material to me.Michael Kirsch, M.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07555280388086931097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post-21612454143016154462010-06-19T14:03:50.181-04:002010-06-19T14:03:50.181-04:00In my opinion, medicine is a cash flow business, p...In my opinion, medicine is a cash flow business, predominantly. There are all kinds of excuses to keep me coming back for an office visit or for other testing.<br /><br />I had one doctor who insisted that I must come in for an office visit, just to get the results of lab work. She blocked all my attempts to get a copy from Quest Diagnostics, as they normally do. This doctor wanted money. I fired her, of course. I have many other examples.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post-53457009472738731762010-05-29T00:22:39.980-04:002010-05-29T00:22:39.980-04:00@Glass House, thanks for the kind words. I'm ...@Glass House, thanks for the kind words. I'm glad that you found the prestigious designation of community scoper to be so 'enlightening'!Michael Kirsch, M.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07555280388086931097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post-53976039088418664842010-05-28T17:49:27.317-04:002010-05-28T17:49:27.317-04:00I think this is a great post. I'm glad KevinMD...I think this is a great post. I'm glad KevinMD re-posted it, so I had the opportunity to come over here directly and let you know.<br /><br />It's such a murky area, this "consulting/referring" relationship. I'm all about transparency, so I have a soft spot in my heart for docs who like to shine light into dark areas.<br /><br />Lastly, I can't help but say I love the term "community scoper." That's a worthy blog title in and of itself. Maybe for your next act.<br /><br />As was said in Caddyshack: don't be so hard on yourself, judge, you're a REAL slouch.<br /><br />-Dr. JohnGlassHospitalhttp://glasshospital.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post-32279560281546366812010-05-11T11:40:21.995-04:002010-05-11T11:40:21.995-04:00Nick, from your blog writing I already surmised yo...Nick, from your blog writing I already surmised your practice style in choosing consultants. In the larger medical arena, it's a different universe full of gray areas and blurry boundaries. While this isn't corrupt, it is invisible to patients.Michael Kirsch, M.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07555280388086931097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post-20291567089169779652010-05-09T23:53:12.743-04:002010-05-09T23:53:12.743-04:00To me, the single most important thing about a con...To me, the single most important thing about a consultant is communication. If I send a patient to a consultatant and they call me with their opinion after they see the patient with some reasonably intelligent opinions, they're my go to consultant. <br /><br />The same goes for radiologist. I don't need a call for every chest xray, but if I care enough about something to order a CT scan, I want to talk to the radiologist about it. In fact, I usually want to go over the films with them face to face, since this often leads to a better interpretation of the images than for the radiologist to look at them alone.<br /><br />I try to follow the same standard when I am the consultant. I call the referring doc the same day I see the patient, and put a letter in the mail that day. When I practiced in Hawaii I built up my consultant practice in less than 6 months this way.Nicholas Fogelson, MDhttp://www.academicobgyn.comnoreply@blogger.com