Note to patients: when your doctor comes into the room, it's time to PUT DOWN THE KNITTING.
Seriously, this woman I saw in clinic last week would not stop knitting the whole time I was interviewing her. It was really distracting.
And then this week, I had a patient who was flipping through a magazine the entire time I was talking to her. The best part was when she finally got to the end of the magazine she was flipping through, she picked up a new one and started flipping through that.
I have to ask: is talking to me really that boring??
No, don't tell me.
I like it when they are on their cell phone when you walk into the room and they finish their conversation before getting off! Once I went over discharge instructions for a dog with a lot of medications for his IMHA. The husband listened and even took notes while the wife talked on her cell phone. When she finally got off she saw all the meds, freaked out, and we had to start over. Then in the middle of our med discussion her phone rang and she said "Sorry I have to get this. My daughter is picking out a hair dryer at Target and isn't sure which one is right for her." I had to leave the room.
ReplyDeletejust from reading your blog...i don't think boring is the issue. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are not boring, people are rude.
ReplyDeletei can't believe people are like this. i practically take notes on what my Doctor is saying.
ReplyDeleteAnd, Dr. Fizzy, i highly doubt uou are boring!
Those people are simply incredibly rude. You are not boring at all.
ReplyDeleteJust to play devil's advocate...maybe it's their way of coping with stress? It's obviously rude and annoying, but I know sometimes I do weird things when I am uncomfortable in a situation too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alli. But its still beyond rude to not be respectful of a professional's time...argh!!
ReplyDeleteCan't you just say "I'll be back when you finish your magazine/knitting/whatever" and leave the room? I would. Unless the patient is autistic, it's just rude and you shouldn't have to put up with that.
ReplyDeleteWow...
ReplyDeleteI am guilty of this at the gynecologist's office. I'd rather be distracted by an intense sudoku game than thinking about what's going on down there :).
ReplyDeleteI think it might be a way with coping with stress. But I don't think it's at all appropriate.
ReplyDeleteOn a similar vein, I wish my endocrinologist wouldn't answer her cell phone for personal calls while I am in an appointment with her.
Cell phones go off at all appointments, be you the client or professional. This includes when I get a haircut, or when you walk into my ER. If you are too busy texting to tell me why you/your child is here, I will be back later.
ReplyDeleteSo rude! Was working with a doctor in a clinic this summer and when we walked in the room the lady was on the phone complaining to someone about how she waited 45 minutes in the waiting room, etc., etc. Well too bad for her because Doc gave her 10 seconds before saying he'd be back when she finished her conversation.
ReplyDeleteAnd people complain that doctors never explain anything or listen to them....this is a two way street!
I hate it when they pick up their cell phone when I'm trying to talk to them.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of it comes down to entitlement.
ReplyDeleteAre you too scared to say "Can you please put that down?"
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I hate is when someone calls you then as soon as you answer they ask if you can wait just a minute. I hang up right away. So don't call me if you are going to ask me to wait, just wait until you are ready to talk.
ReplyDelete