Anonymous wrote:I don’t ever expect my doctor to call me. A ten minute conversation is significant. I do expect a portal message that says, “Your MRI showed only minor damage to your shoulder. You can come in for a steroid injection if you want to, or you can wait and see.”

That portal message requires more than the time just to type a few words. A professional has to pull it up, read through it, interpret in in light of the clinical history and exam (some "normal" results are not normal, and a lot of "abnormal" results really aren't, in context), and frame it for you accurately in a way that puts their license and liability on the line if they miss something. That's not 30 seconds, and it also isn't inconsequential.

If we want the auto-read of the EKG, the lab values with the generic norms, or the imaging read by a radiologist who doesn't have clinical correlation, we can get that now through portal or other medical records. If we want the clinical judgment as well, it's worth at least a telehealth appointment and booked time.

It really depends on whether the doctor thinks you might ask a lot of questions following the results — that is, if you might need PT, or what next steps are. Example: I have Lynch Syndrome, so I’m at higher risk of colon and esophageal cancers. While my test results were normal, the doctor recommended I come in to discuss because he figured I might have additional questions based on my history. My husband, on the other hand, did not need to come in for his results because he has no concerning history.

They probably want to discuss a couple options ( like PT or surgery with pros and cons of both given the specifics of your case) and (appropriately) want to be paid for their time and expertise.

I don’t ever expect my doctor to call me. A ten minute conversation is significant. I do expect a portal message that says, “Your MRI showed only minor damage to your shoulder. You can come in for a steroid injection if you want to, or you can wait and see.”

Anonymous wrote:There is a resounding chorus that medicine is just a business, and doctors aren't special, and what they do isn't special. Fair enough, but then it will be just a business, and just like lawyers and mechanics, they will charge for increments of time and all the extra requests.

It's just the way it is now.

Insurance needs a way to bill for a 10 minute conversation that’s different from a half hour appointment, and patients need to be able to pay differently.

There is a resounding chorus that medicine is just a business, and doctors aren't special, and what they do isn't special. Fair enough, but then it will be just a business, and just like lawyers and mechanics, they will charge for increments of time and all the extra requests.

It's just the way it is now.