Human Connection
May 1, 2024
"Please listen closely as our options have recently changed. To reach..., press 1; to reach..., press 2; ...; to reach ..., press 7; to hear these again, press 8."
[I just need to talk with someone.] "0"
"Invalid option. Please listen..."
[What? 0 doesn't work?] "0!"
"Invalid option. Please..."
"###"
"Invalid option..."å
"9#$!%@" [AHHH!]
"Invalid option..."
Click
Large Systems and the Human Connection
Can you relate to this? And this is just the automated phone triage.
How many times have you finally gotten through to another human being, only to learn that they cannot help you, so they transfer you to someone else? You explain your story again, to which they say, "I'm sorry, this isn't the correct department, let me transfer you." And, without an opportunity to contest, you're back to the person you spoke with originally - who still can't help you.
This has been my experience dealing with much of the 'traditional' healthcare system, especially hospitals and insurance companies.
You can easily deplete your cell phone battery (and your entire morning) trying to find a human being who has both the knowledge and authority to solve the issue you called about.
It's tempting to start creating conspiracies about how this insanely inefficient system is intentionally designed to wear down your patience. It's as if they want you to give up so that they don't have to address the concern you're calling about.
Unfortunately, this sort of impersonal "efficiency" tends to be a hallmark of giant healthcare systems. Inevitably, the personal touch erodes in favor of automation.
Ironically, although the goal is efficient and streamlined care, more often than not, the patients end up feeling more frustrated and isolated.
Micro Practices and the Human Connection
One thing I am committed to maintaining in my practice is a human connection with my patients. I am not building a monstrous practice where my patients must wait 6 months to be seen. I don't want their messages to pass through 5 staff members before they reach me - 5 days later. I value the connection that I have with my patients and want to remain personally responsive to them. For me, this means maintaining a small patient panel size and being accessible.
Appointment Duration & Availability
Many medical practices have "massive growth" as a core goal for their businesses. They want the prestige that comes with being recognized as an industry leader and having a 6-month waitlist. To be sure, these things can be good - and we need industry leaders. But, there's a trade-off when market share, prestige, and clinician productivity are top executive priorities: the bigger their numbers, the more likely you are to be treated as a number.
My goal at Precision Functional Medicine is the opposite: to keep it small and intimate. I intentionally maintain a patient volume that is about 1/10th that of a typical doctor. This allows me to give each person the attention they deserve. Patients feel this benefit in the longer office visits as well as appointment availability. As a patient at PFM, you won't compete with a crowd of people, all elbowing to get into the schedule, and you'll have the time you need with me to ensure that you are heard and that we're making progress in your care.
Communication Accessibility
Poor communication is a point of immense frustration for many patients. You just need to get something done: a prescription refill, a supplement clarification, or to report a new event in your health. You want to connect with a person who has the knowledge and authority to listen and act- quickly. Simple things shouldn't take 3 hours (or 3 days) and leave you with elevated blood pressure.
Alleviating this is a priority at Precision Functional Medicine, so there are multiple ways to get a hold of me - directly.
One of those ways is through the phone. You may call my office line at 616-330-1440 with any questions or concerns. If I am in the office and available, I will personally answer and help you navigate your needs. If I'm unavailable, you are always free to leave a message, and I generally respond within hours.
Additional ways to contact me are through the website contact form or the office email address: [email protected]. Both of these route directly to me as well.
Finally, for existing patients, it is best to keep communication within the Charm Health portal messaging system. Through your portal, you can send me a direct HIPAA-compliant message. By writing to me in this way, I can keep track of your progress and all of our communications in one place, thereby providing more seamless care.
In all of these cases, my patients are pleasantly surprised to learn how responsive I am - responding within 24 hours, and often much quicker (within hours). They take comfort in knowing that their doctor is attentive to them and that their messages won't be lost in the endless void of impersonal "efficiency."
24/7?
Now, I should mention (in light of the illustration I used at the top of this article) that I do not have round-the-clock staff, nor do I personally answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, neither do I have an automated phone triage that never seems to have the option you need. :) Instead, I provide you with several ways to reach me and the assurance that I am checking and that you will get a prompt reply.
Why not give it a try?
Large medical systems have their advantages, no doubt, but creating a sense of personal, human connection with your doctor is generally not one. Their schedules are too full, and they've got an army of staff and automated phone trees barricading them from direct interaction with you (at least outside of your brief office appointment).
If you want to experience a different level of accessibility and responsiveness from your doctor, schedule with me at Precision Functional Medicine where the goal is not 'massive growth' but cultivating and preserving a human connection with my patients.
