Dealing with AB Health Care

[Eddie Bronze]

Incurred an injury to my right hand yesterday. Please fotze, ken et al, spare me of any jokes! So I went to a clinic to have it looked at. Possible fractured right index finger, possibly just a really bad ligament sprain/strain. Woman doctor said she wouldn't be able to give a proper diagnosis until she had an x-ray because of swelling. Okay, understandable.

The only thing they tell me is "you cannot work, go get the x-ray". I get the x-ray taken yesterday so I called the clinic today to find out if they had it. The answer I get is, "we don't have it and we won't call you to let you know unless there is a problem. It could be 3-4 days before we get the x-ray." This after the doc originally told me to come back in a couple days to re-evaluate regardless of if there's a fracture or not. So you want me to come back, although you might not have the x-ray which you may or may not call me about, and cannot properly diagnose without it? Sorry, my level of comprehension is not substantial enough to grasp this!

So I have to set here with a gimp hand for possibly 6-7 days (because of the weekend) waiting for a call that may not even come to find out my hand/finger isn't broken? Then what? What a mess the system is.

[fredr123]

I had a similar experience but substitute x-rays with... well, put it this way: it involved Saran wrap, tongue depressors and some irreversible emotional damage. And then the test results (eventually) came back: inadequate sample. Thanks.

My wife had a bunch of tests done while she was pregnant due to some scary stuff going on down there. We got the whole "we'll call you if we find anything bad" spiel. Well, how long are you supposed to wait? How do you know if the tests were actually completed and a result was even obtained?

The next week a nurse from her doctor's office called about the test results. She said that we needed to come in to see the doctor, results wouldn't be discussed over the phone. Next appointment? Two weeks! Obviously the problems couldn't have been that serious if they would let you wait two weeks but sheesh. This whole time we were worrying and that worrying only got worse once that call came.

[llama64]

Yikes! Last time that happened to me the xray clinic gave me the photos to run back to my doctor. Then the doc put my finger in a splint and told me to go about my day. In all took about 3 hours + the week or so till the split came off.

They did at least put your finger in a splint right?

[ken0042]

Where did you have it looked at? For a possible fracture I would have gone into emergency, or some other place where the doctors have direct contact with the X-ray techs. Or is this a case of that not working any more?

[Eddie Bronze]

Originally Posted by llama64

They did at least put your finger in a splint right?

No, nothing. Told me to put ice on it. So if it is broken, when does the healing process begin and if it already has, it's healing improperly? BS!

[Eddie Bronze]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Where did you have it looked at? For a possible fracture I would have gone into emergency, or some other place where the doctors have direct contact with the X-ray techs. Or is this a case of that not working any more?

Ken, I wish I knew the answer to that.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by Eddie Bronze

No, nothing. Told me to put ice on it. So if it is broken, when does the healing process begin and if it already has, it's healing improperly? BS!

If it is broken, and it starts mending itself improperly, they will probably have to re-brake it, then set it again. Lucky you!

[habernac]

yeah, my favourite is the whole "we won't discuss results on the phone" bull**** then you have to take time off from work, get an appointment 3 months down the road where they tell you you're fine.

My Dad gave us a good laugh recently. He phoned to set up a physical. Reception told him he needed to come in first for an appointment to disucss the physical, then they'd set one up at a later date. "No. I want a physical on this day, book me an appointment, call me and let me know when it is." *click*

He got his appointment.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Eddie Bronze

The only thing they tell me is "you cannot work, go get the x-ray". I get the x-ray taken yesterday so I called the clinic today to find out if they had it. The answer I get is, "we don't have it and we won't call you to let you know unless there is a problem.

I get that respone from my GP all the time. Part of this is due to GP's having a high patient load and trying to free up more time for other patients. That said i've ignored the standard respone and made the appointment anyway. If the tests are negative, naturaly you want to discuss other alternative treatments.

[NuclearFart]

Eddie, make an appointment for follow up according to what was originally said (ie. 3-4 days). When speaking with the secretary, be sure to tell her that you are booking a follow up appointment as per your discussion with the doctor.

Unfortunately the medical office secretaries have a tendancy to stone wall a bit, because the patient load is so high, so they serve as a bit of a "filter", espcially when it comes to getting in to see a GP on such short notice. But in your case, this is part of your GP's management plan and thus appropriate.

As for your X-rays, results are not instantaneous because they have to be interpreted by a specialist doctor (Radiologist) for an official diagnosis. The time lag here is your GP waiting for the results to come in. I am not sure how long the lag is in Calgary anymore, but I would suspect less than 3 days. As someone has mentioned, acute care center doctors (like the ER or some walk in's with a conjoint x-ray machine) are able to give initial impressions of your x-rays and then initiate management accordingly. Even those x-rays are eventually reviewed by a radiologist however, who will in turn send a final report to those doctors, in case there is a discrepancy requiring a change in treatment.
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[Eddie Bronze]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

When speaking with the secretary, be sure to tell her that you are booking a follow up appointment as per your discussion with the doctor.

Thanks for your advice. I actually did that when I called there and she said, "No appointments, walk in only."

[red sky]

I had a similar situation just recently but I ended up going to the Market Mall professional walk in clinic. I had the doctor refer me to the x-ray clinic which is in the same building. I had the x-ray taken relatively quickly and I was give the results right away on a disc. I brought the disc down and the doctor puts you to the front of the line and takes a look at the x-rays with you. I went first thing on a Saturday morning and there was already a line up. Make sure you go as early as you can (i.e. before it opens). All in all it took about an hour and a half, so not too bad.

[jamesteterenko]

Wow, I guess I have a really good setup with my doctor. When I broke my finger, I called on a Monday morning and was able to see her within half an hour. For the Xray, I went to the lab next door and carried it back with me to my doctor's office. My total time there was probably about 45 minutes or an hour, mostly waiting for the Xray.

[bradster57]

When I broke my arm earlier this year, I went into the ER, they took an xray of my shoulder instead of my arm. They said I was fine, put me in a sling and sent me on my way. A few days later, I knew something was wrong so I went to a walkin place and demanded the doc take another xray of my arm. They set me up for an xray with the usual "if somethings wrong we'll call you" deal... Well the person who took the picture told me right there "you better get back to the ER now!" My arm was broken in a few places, spiral fracture up to the elbow which is a touchy place because it may not heal properly!

Either way, I'm finding that self diagnosis is often better than health care in this city at the moment. The followup appointments were no better at the Foothills cast clinic... wait for an hour and the doc checks you out for 3 minutes tops.

[Eddie Bronze]

I've done that before, where they gave me the x-ray and I took it back to my chiropractor in that instance. This time it was never given to me as an option. No one said anything about letting me have the x-ray or taking care of it myself which is what I was hoping for. I'm not sure what to do but I'm already tired of waiting.

[Nufy]

Wow... reading all these stories makes me glad that I have an in-law who works in the industry.

Me or my family can sometimes get in and have results the same day when we need x-rays, U.S etc....

This same company does work for the Flames as well.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by red sky

I had a similar situation just recently but I ended up going to the Market Mall professional walk in clinic. I had the doctor refer me to the x-ray clinic which is in the same building. I had the x-ray taken relatively quickly and I was give the results right away on a disc. I brought the disc down and the doctor puts you to the front of the line and takes a look at the x-rays with you. I went first thing on a Saturday morning and there was already a line up. Make sure you go as early as you can (i.e. before it opens). All in all it took about an hour and a half, so not too bad.

Yeah, I used to go there when I was in University. They were always great.

[Eddie Bronze]

I just went to Market Mall clinic. I went in, signed the paper, sat there for an hour, no one said boo to me about anything. I heard the woman at the desk tell an old man "you've got plenty of time" and he'd already been there, gone and come back and was leaving again, so I just left.

Called my "family physician", he's on vacation until the 14th.

edit: I just called the original clinic and they said they had the x-ray and "everything is normal". ha! Tell that to my swollen right hand! %$#@!!!

[Sylvanfan]

Yeah, my wife was in a car accident just over a year ago and dealing with the health care system has been a pain in the arse. It's been over a year yet no doctor will bother to do any type of examination to figure out why her neck and back hurt all the time and why she has migrane head aches every single day. It's like every doctor in this city has been bought out by the insurance company or something and won't divulge any information. I hate it.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Eddie Bronze

I just went to Market Mall clinic. I went in, signed the paper, sat there for an hour, no one said boo to me about anything. I heard the woman at the desk tell an old man "you've got plenty of time" and he'd already been there, gone and come back and was leaving again, so I just left.

Called my "family physician", he's on vacation until the 14th.

edit: I just called the original clinic and they said they had the x-ray and "everything is normal". ha! Tell that to my swollen right hand! %$#@!!!

My advice would be to go to emergency. Maybe someone there can give you a second opinion.

Sorry to hear your hand is swollen.