<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Hello!
Seeking medical care at a "teaching hospital" can be intimidating. Large
institutions tend not to be as smoothly organized and wait times for
appointments can be very long (months even). I thought I would post some
tips for people who do go to teaching hospitals for their care. This
information is what we tell every caller who contacts us at the University
of Chicago Celiac Disease Program (a program of the University, not the
Hospitals).
First, when making appointments, you will usually be given the "first
available" date. This date is usually weeks to months later than when you'd
actually like to see a doctor, but is a function of his/her schedule. Many
patients hesitate to tell the appointment secretary how much they need to
see the doctor. But it's this type of information that allows these
professionals to meet your needs. Describe your condition. Use the words
URGENT, or even EMERGENCY, if it applies (using these words EVERY time you
make an appointment won't help, however!). Doctors have different
appointment slots for different types of appointments, and providing
additional information could make your appointment date move up quite a
bit. It's also good to ask to be put on the doctor's cancellation list--if
a person cancels, they will call you to see if you can fill the appointment.
Second, the reason to go to a teaching hospital is that the medical
professionals working there have more expertise in their specialty, because
they've treated patients with unusual or rare conditions. However, in
making the choice to go to a teaching hospital the doctor you will see
automatically comes with an entourage of medical residents and students. As
if it weren't stressful enough to see one doctor, there might now be three
or four!
Hints: You can ask the residents/students to leave, and you do not have to
consent to having an exam or procedure done by a resident. You can tell
your doctor that you have a series of questions or concerns to discuss and
that you would like his/her undivided attention. You can bring a notebook
or a tape recorder to capture information that is being said to you. You
can ask for explanations of words you don't know. All of these hints help
physicians focus in on your needs and concerns.
Third, patients and doctors are not always a good fit for each other, even
in large teaching hospitals. While it's always good to try and have a
relationship with a physician before you become ill, for many celiacs
that's just not possible. When meeting a physician for the first time, if
you are not feeling well, try to come with a friend or family member who
can help you articulate your needs and assess the physician you are seeing.
When the appointment is over, you can determine whether or not you'd like
to continue working with this physician. (You pay their salary, after all!)
Finally, all hospitals are concerned about their ability to provide quality
care, and teaching hospitals especially have feedback and quality assurance
programs. At the University of Chicago Hospitals, patients can call and
request a patient survey by calling 1-888-UCH-0200. Others have web-based
surveys. These surveys are read and taken very seriously by the individuals
who have the power to change the way patients are treated.
I hope this information is helpful to the many people with celiac disease
who seek care at teaching hospitals across the country. Please let me know
if I can be of any assistance.
Michelle
Michelle Melin-Rogovin, Program Director
The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program
5839 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 4065
Chicago, Illinois 60637
Phone: 773-834-0166
Fax: 773-702-0666
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