General Medical issues thread

[Flyfrequently]

GP (up in town) who we have been seeing for 25+ years has always bulk billed all patients but now has restrictions with "no new patients" and from what I could gather the other day "mixed billing" is being phased in.

GP we see down here, has tightened their bulk billing criteria, restricted hours for eligible card holders, now between 9am - 12.45pm Monday-Friday and only local full time residents.
(Edit to add : I would happily pay if I became crook in restricted times as I have great respect and confidence in these 2 GPs)

Holiday makers and part time locals ie primary address for Medicare not our peninsula postcodes, pay ~ $120 per consultation.

Our Gkids don't get bulk billed anymore as they are over 16, their parents never have been.

Hence I cannot see how the guvment can say 9 out of 10 visits.
I have worked with good GP's who sadly closed their successful practices earlier than planned when new rules were introduced.

 

[RooFlyer]

I see no legal reason for the results to be withheld.

I'm not sure if its a legal reason or not - but I think traditionally its been so that people don't get results and worry unnecessarily about what they see. YMMV.

I too got pics etc left with me after my last colonoscopy. Not sure why they do that! I assume its so they don't need to post to the GP

Dr Google ain't necessarily good at explaining certain results for a patient who has a couple of things going on. Happy to leave it to my GP who can consider the results in the light of the meds I'm on and prior scans etc.

My GP doesn't bulk bill me (I can't remember if any of mine ever have) and I'm OK with that. They always take the time to cover the issues and I'm happy to pay for that care.

 

[Aeryn]

IMO withholding results would cause more worry, driving fear its going to be bad news because you are waiting for the doctor, rather than knowing straight away if all is ok or easily manageable. And if it is bad news, you can research and have questions ready to go at your appointment instead of being shell shocked and forgetting to ask important stuff in that short GP appointment. YMMV but for me information is power.

My report says patient copy and I know it was sent by email to my GP the same day as I was also cc'd on that.

I find google fine for explaining what terms mean, from the search results I chose reputable sites like the Australian Bowel Cancer website and Mayo clinic. Im using Google for a definition / explanation not for a diagnosis or treatment recommendation, the diagnosis has already been provided by a qualified doctor.

The definition of what terms like polyp or sessile mean wont as far I can tell change because you are taking a GLP-1 like my sister is or cholesterol medication like my Dad.

Besides I'm not on any regular medication and I dont have any chronic conditions except some early arthritis in my knees so no complex drug interactions etc. to consider in any results.

I have always been happy to pay out of pocket to see my quality GP but these recent changes mean I no longer have to so for once a policy change has actually benefitted me. I'll take it. If it changes in future I will still see my GP.

 

[prozac]

I'm not sure if its a legal reason or not - but I think traditionally its been so that people don't get results and worry unnecessarily about what they see. YMMV.

I too got pics etc left with me after my last colonoscopy. Not sure why they do that! I assume its so they don't need to post to the GP

Dr Google ain't necessarily good at explaining certain results for a patient who has a couple of things going on. Happy to leave it to my GP who can consider the results in the light of the meds I'm on and prior scans etc.

My GP doesn't bulk bill me (I can't remember if any of mine ever have) and I'm OK with that. They always take the time to cover the issues and I'm happy to pay for that care.

All you need is one of these ...

 

[hydrabyss]

IMO withholding results would cause more worry, driving fear its going to be bad news because you are waiting for the doctor, rather than knowing straight away if all is ok or easily manageable. And if it is bad news, you can research and have questions ready to go at your appointment instead of being shell shocked and forgetting to ask important stuff in that short GP appointment. YMMV but for me information is power.

It does make it easier when talking to the doctor if you have some idea what is going on.

Medications and abbreviated test names use to stump me but after two years I learnt how to read most things that are important with my condition.

 

[Pushka]

The whole secrecy thing of some medical providers is very frustrating. Imaging practices seem to be the worst. There should be a note on file that the GP can tick that states that results can be made availability immediately when patient request it.

 

[Quickstatus]

The whole secrecy thing of some medical providers is very frustrating

It's just dumb and serves no purpose.
I'd rather a patient come for review having seen their results and subsequently having checked Dr google because they then come with questions.

One of these days (soon) there will be an AI Agent trained to interpret results and gives patients a list of questions to ask their Dr. Heck you could even train your own personal AI Agent/assistant to do that.

 

[RooFlyer]

The whole secrecy thing of some medical providers is very frustrating. Imaging practices seem to be the worst. There should be a note on file that the GP can tick that states that results can be made availability immediately when patient request it.

My imaging practice has a web site and you can log in, see the reports and view the imaging in all its gruesome detail. I can access the images on my phone faster than the GP can on his PC!

 

[hydrabyss]

It's just dumb and serves no purpose.
I'd rather a patient come for review having seen their results and subsequently having checked Dr google because they then come with questions.

One of these days (soon) there will be an AI Agent trained to interpret results and gives patients a list of questions to ask their Dr. Heck you could even train your own personal AI Agent/assistant to do that.

For the last 3 months I have been using chatgpt for understanding my health condition. and at the end it has a list of questions to ask your doctor.

 

[drron]

It's just dumb and serves no purpose.
I'd rather a patient come for review having seen their results and subsequently having checked Dr google because they then come with questions.

One of these days (soon) there will be an AI Agent trained to interpret results and gives patients a list of questions to ask their Dr. Heck you could even train your own personal AI Agent/assistant to do that.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Quickstatus]

Be careful what you wish for.

Already here in some form.
AI 24/7 medical secretary which can give patients a choice of appointment times and basic information
AI Dictation on the fly with almost immediate delivery at end of consultation
AI assisted colonoscopy and radiology diagnosis
AI assisted rapid medical information transfer between patient, drs and other providers.

Even Dr Google will get better with AI
I think while there are potential pitfalls, I think what patients want is rapid, accurate information, treatment alternatives, which are refined to their circumstances by their Drs.

 

[drron]

Except that there are patients who misinterpret what they get from Dr. google and various Ai sites thy use. They made up the majority of m heart sink patients.
And no matter how good Ai gets with diagnosis it will never be perfect and i can think of patients I have treated that may well have paid dearly from Ai advice.
My concern is that the advice of Ai sites is going to be the gospel truth when that is not the case.