You know what really frosts my flakes?
Doctors who insist that every conversation happen through a text message or a patient portal.
I tried to make an appointment yesterday, so I did what people have done for decades. I picked up the phone and called the doctor’s office.
Naturally, I didn’t get a person. Instead, I got a recording telling me to either leave a voicemail or send a text message to a completely different phone number.
I left the voicemail. The next day, what did I get? A text.
Whatever happened to a simple phone call?
We’re paying hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars for medical care, yet nobody seems willing to spend two minutes talking to a patient.
And don’t get me started on patient portals.
- Need an appointment? Use the portal.
- Need to schedule a test? Use the portal.
- Want to see your lab results? Use the portal.
- Need to fill out paperwork? Use the portal.
- Have a question? Use the portal.
Pretty soon they’ll probably want us to perform our own physical exam through the portal.
Medical offices keep telling us technology makes everything more efficient. That’s great for them.
But if automation is saving so much time and money, why do healthcare costs keep soaring?
I’m Grandpa Grumpy. If doctors expect patients to do everything online, they shouldn’t be surprised when patients start asking AI for medical advice before they even bother contacting the doctor’s office.