Visiting A Physician

I have posted a few times about going to the clinic.  They seem to tell me that I have allergies.  (All of a sudden at my age.)

So, I finally go into an allergist to get my allergy testing.  How fun!  Getting lots of pricks in your back.  But, an efficient testing process.  Clinically, I have no allergies.  But, I noticed numerous things on the visit.

• First, I am a new patient, and I come in and sign my name in on a sign-in sheet that is on the counter for everyone to see.  (HIPAA anyone?)  I later heard one nurse asking another one why someone kept pulling the form in past the window.
• Next, they take my form from me and never tell me anything until about 15 minutes later when they come and get me.  (How about a welcome?  An orientation?  An estimate of the time lag?)
• When the nurse comes to see me after putting me in the room, she asks me several of the questions that were on the form that I filled out.  As it turns out, they immediate scan it and shrink it down to put it in these 1/2 folders that they use.  (But, if they can’t read the information, why use it?)
• Later, when I have to take my shirt off and get the shots, they leave the door wide open for about 5 minutes before someone walking by closes it.  (Not much customer focus.)
• On the way out, there is no one to check me out.  They can’t find my file.  (Probably because the desk is a clutered mess.)  They don’t know my copayment (which I have to tell them).

Luckily, the physician had a great bedside manner and was very helpful.  But, it made me wonder how we have blinders on to things that just aren’t right.  Often, I think we are too close or people get detached and forget that real people have to interact with the process.  Maybe every healthcare executive needs to be a patient more often and really experience it.  Then our solutions would be designed from the outside-in not the inside-out.