Well yesterday was interesting to say the very least. I attended my six month follow up with my pain management doctor at the hospital usually a trivial appointment, low stress, high wait time, same questions yadda, yadda, yadda. But not yesterday. When you check in to the receptionist you are forced to listen to her broadcast your name - your full entire legal name, your address, phone number, birthday, next of kin, and was this a workplace injury?, when, where. The waiting room is usually full of people there are about 20 chairs and the place is usually at capacity. Yesterday it was not as full, but I still have the same concerns as each time I check in. Each time I say very politely - I can be polite, please lower your voice so I can hear you but not the room. Well whoever was on the desk yesterday informed me "I have to ask these questions to verify who you are!". I do not did not recall telling her not to ask the questions, just to lower her projected tell the room in a broadcast voice way of asking. That was apparently the wrong thing to request. She stated "I will have to get a form." and promptly left. I could hear her across the hall discussing this with another receptionist, I could hear her across the hall, which means the people in the waiting room could also hear her discussing my request. I got up and walked to the hallway to see where she was having my confidential information conversation, and it was indeed with another receptionist - when the other one saw me standing there - she made a motion to the broadcast receptionist and she stopped talking. Makes one or maybe just me very suspicious. She returned across the hall - looked at me and I informed her that I did not like hearing my situation discussed across a hallway. I got the screw you glare and she shoved a piece of paper my way then clipped it to a clipboard and shoved a pen my way, "fill this out, you have to consent to the form." I just kept my mouth shut b/c what she said just made no sense to me. I went back to my seat and filled out the form, took it back and what does she do...you got it - she started asking me questions that were answered on the form! I pointed at the form and put my fingers to my lips to indicate "shh" then she asked where I worked "the same place I worked when I was hurt at work" was my response - "where is that?" she asked again - I pointed at the form where it clearly stated where I worked, "oh I did not read that" - I began to lose it - "so you gave me a form, that you demanded that I fill out, and then you did not read it, what was the point of filling out the required form if you are not going to read it?" I guess that was the true tipping point for me b/c I just did not understand then or now what the point of the "required" form. So, I get registered so that they know I am there, and I am quite confident that they knew I was there...:p but officially I was there. I went down the hall to the washroom and when I walked back up I saw security walking into the department, now officially I do not know if they were there for moi, but instinct tells me in hindsight that ya they were. I have never seen security in that department before and I have been going there for awhile.
So, we wait, I read my book, my Mom reads her book. We talk to another patient waiting about stuff and get on the topic of registration - I see lil Miss Broadcast perk up her ears and walk across the hall. So apparently having conversations is frowned up as well as advocating for your confidentiality. We discuss who could hear such information and what they might/might not do with such good intell and how freaked out it makes us feel knowing that anyone in the room can find out where you live, what you do, and that you are not home right now - the crew could swoop in and clean the place out.
So, they call me in for my appointment and more waiting - unusually long wait. In comes my specialist and I as soon as she sits down I can tell she is not a happy doctor. She proceeds to say "First we have some administrative things to discuss...and goes into how inappropriate it was of me to make the request and if I have issues with the procedures that I ought to contact patient services..." I was being scolded by my physician because I had asked for confidentiality about my personal information. I was taken aback - so much so I just sat and listened and did not make comment. It was not a conversation it was a scolding.
I am not at all comfortable with the above situation and yet what is one to do? You make a reasonable request for patient confidentiality and BAM! you get smoked!
Lady of the Oak
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