Practical Tips: First there, then here

A common scenario seen in government OPDs is that many a times patients come to the wrong department's clinic. If the doctor sitting in the OPD tries to guide them to the correct departmental clinic, the patient frequently views this suspiciously. He thinks that the doctor don’t want to work and just wants to shunt him away i.e. tarkana chahta hai. 

            This problem is faced even in private clinics. The various reasons that the patient have not going to another doctor may include, travelling from one clinic to another, additional waiting period at the new doctor’s chamber, taking a new appointment, paying additional consultation fees, etc.

So he will try to argue with the doctor; that he was sent to this particular room by so and so, please why don't you see me, why don’t me write some medicines now and I will go there on next visit, why should I go there, and so on.

This leads to wastage of time, rise of temper and deterioration in public relation of doctor community, even though ironically the doctor has the best possible interest of the patient in his mind. 

            An elegant solution suggested by my friend, Dr. Arun Sharma, Urologist, Kota (Rajasthan), is to just say to the patient,

 ‘First show in room number X and then report back here'.  

Since the doctor is calling me back here, the patient does not feel unwanted or shunted and happily goes to the correct room. In most cases the patient does not came back after visiting the correct specialist. Even if they do, then the referring doctor gets valuable feedback on whether his earlier diagnosis and referral was justified and can gently remind the patient to continue treatment from the referred doctor in future. 

Try it and let us know your experience. 

— NKD

© Author. All rights reserved. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

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