For years I've had appointments with my Endo. At the time he had a Nurse Prac that worked with him and I liked him very much. Well, he recently left the office and now they have a Physican Assistant right out of school. My first time impression of him was good but, he missed out on ordering all of my lab work. I drew blood in their office and when I recieved a call from the nurse with my results, all they had was my A1C.
I usually get my lab work done at my Endo's Office and then bring the results to my Primary Physican. Well, when I didn't have anything to show her she asked why. When I told her that the Endo had a new Physican Assisant she said that I need to be seen only by the Endo and not the PA because my case is too deep for a PA.
Hi, Sportster, It takes awhile for all good teams to work together well. Hopefully it won't happen again.
PAs can do a great job. They need an orientation period like everyone else. There should be a book that he's following and which the Nurse Prac followed. Ask if there's anything else in the book that should be done! Then he can get it out in front of you and read it!
Make a list of what you need, even of the labs that have been done in the past so that the newbie gets the idea when you ask about specifics. Jog his memory by asking questions - Did we get all the labs - I need results to go to my Primary Physician. When will I get the results - are you phoning them or emailing them? Are they on paper? If I don't receive them, what's your extension? Ask, ask, ask. Pull him along.
And if after 3 months he still doesn't get things right, tell the Endo you're losing confidence. Explain the problem.
I have never heard of a "case" being "too deep." When I'm referred to as a case, I'm looking around! My personhood is at stake! :)
Like I said earlier, I liked the new Physican Assistant and I hated having to ask to see only the Endo. I'll do like you said and ask, ask, ask!
I guess my Primary Physican referred to me as "being too deep" because it was over "her" head. She admitted to me that she didn't know much about diabetes and my over active thyroid.
