Medical Care is Changing

This morning I have called two different doctors for two different reasons only to find out that our medical care system has no sense of efficiency anymore.

First the Gyno and after being put on hold for several minutes I got the receptionist who could tell me that my results were in but she couldn't tell me anything until the doctor looked at them.  I suggested that I would need to be seen either way and could I not just make an appointment?  She said no we needed to wait until I had my results.  Then I got a call from the nurse to tell me that the doctor had not yet read my results and they would call me soon?????  OK…


I then called the lapband doctor.  He has retired-like completely…gone.  He was also much older than I thought because they told me how old he was over the phone!!  The nurse practicioner that I saw a few times is still there thank goodness and I am scheduled to see her.  I will miss my doctor :(.  Now here is the makes no sense part.  I called was put through to a nurse.  Told her that I needed to have an upper GI scheduled , that I had frequent shoulder pain and that I was dealing with gyno issues that were making it all more difficult.  I asked if we could just schedule it all together and she said-no you need to come in and schedule with the nurse practicioner first and then perhaps to for the upper GI..then…said she would call me back to make the appointment!!!  WTF???  Does no one keep a schedule in front of them anymore???

How much work time is wasted on phone tag and call backs?