eCheck in for doctor's visit

[Leo99]

When they ask if I am depressed or ever thought of harming myself, I tell them no, but many others would like to........

That questionnaire cracks me up. It starts out gentle. Do you sometimes feel sad? Do you sometimes feel life has no purpose? Then it quickly progresses into Do you sometimes feel life has no meaning and you want to end your suffering?

Depression is a rough thing. I never really understood it until I started to take a new medication a couple months ago and it affected my mental health and caused what I assume is depression for a couple weeks. It was horrible. I'm glad that it self-resolved and I'm back to my happy self.

 

[Leo99]

My Cardiologist asks whether I smoke , drink , or use recreational drugs . I think those are appropriate questions for a Cardiologist . If you don't answer those questions honestly then you aren't helping him to help you . I guess I don't get offended as easily as some .
I've never had a Doctor ask about firearms . THAT would be inappropriate and left blank .

I was asked once. Said I'm not going to answer. My Dr. said I don't blame you.

 

[Zee09]

That questionnaire cracks me up. It starts out gentle. Do you sometimes feel sad? Do you sometimes feel life has no purpose? Then it quickly progresses into Do you sometimes feel life has no meaning and you want to end your suffering?

Depression is a rough thing. I never really understood it until I started to take a new medication a couple months ago and it affected my mental health and caused what I assume is depression for a couple weeks. It was horrible. I'm glad that it self-resolved and I'm back to my happy self.

Agreed...been there...... medication was the cause as well. Antibiotics can really send you off the deep end.

I only get depressed and suicidal when I get the bill...

 

[alarmguy]

My doctor said that a blood test reveals nearly all. He does the standard bring in everything you are taking (supplements etc.), so the nurse can record it. He did say that whether or not a person admits to a supplement, he goes by the blood test....

...

I am hearing some bazaar stuff but Im not doubting you, I just am wondering how a Dr makes those remarks. He maybe right but I find it hard to believe. Maybe put another way, no insurance company is going to pay for such blood tests without a cause other than the standard annual physical stuff. Heck, even Medicare doesnt allow some standard annual bloodiest stuff unless there is a documented medical reason. For example a Dr can not run a A1C test "just because" some insurance will not pay it and Medicare will not pay it unless you are a diabetic. So to go fishing around using blood tests by a Dr is not that easy. He can not blanket test everything in your blood without a reason for symptoms of the insurance wont pay.

Im not an expert but these are my experiences.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

I found the eCheck in to be rather stupid. They tried to collect payment as well--why do that, if the apt. gets clxd may be hard to get it back.

Not only were there a battery of questions that took maybe 5 min to get through, it told me I had a question unanswered. How many times a week I had sex. That is just simply asinine if you ask me, data mining. So I put 21.

I can't get over all these stupid questions these doctors' offices have now. All these questions about race, ethnicity, se*ual orientation, etc.


I'm a mixture of a ghey hispanic, black, asian non-binary prefer not to say shoestring or something I made up that day. I'm also pregnant, blind and deaf.

I've NEVER had anyone in a doctor's office ask me about any of these answers. IOW, THEY don't read them. It's sent to some information-gathering entity who is probably paying the doctor's office a fee to collect this info.

 

[Vil_Riker]

I found the eCheck in to be rather stupid. They tried to collect payment as well--why do that, if the apt. gets clxd may be hard to get it back.

Not only were there a battery of questions that took maybe 5 min to get through, it told me I had a question unanswered. How many times a week I had sex. That is just simply asinine if you ask me, data mining. So I put 21.

This is for quality monitoring of the patients. CMS requires such questionnaires. Pre-checkin helps you do it on your own time, otherwise you will be asked the same questions by a medical assistant at the clinic.

 

[Vil_Riker]

I can't get over all these stupid questions these doctors' offices have now. All these questions about race, ethnicity, se*ual orientation, etc.


I'm a mixture of a ghey hispanic, black, asian non-binary prefer not to say shoestring or something I made up that day. I'm also pregnant, blind and deaf.

I've NEVER had anyone in a doctor's office ask me about any of these answers. IOW, THEY don't read them. It's sent to some information-gathering entity who is probably paying the doctor's office a fee to collect this info.

They don't pay a fee, they fine you if you don't collect this information. Healthcare regulations are usually punitive in nature.

 

[PimTac]

I don’t answer those questions. It’s none of their beeswax. 95% of my recent doctor visit was done by the assistant. The doctor was there for a few minutes and left.

They even had me scheduled for the next visit when I checked out. I cancelled that appointment.

 

[Vil_Riker]

When they ask if I am depressed or ever thought of harming myself, I tell them no, but many others would like to........

Stop wasting peoples' time. No one likes asking these questions but the government forces them.

 

[CKN]

It's data mining but it's also your doctor (hopefully). If you were having sex 3 times a week for 10 years or so (and that had been duly noted all that time), then on your next wellness visit you said something like 0.1 (meaning like once a month or less), a sudden change like that means something--just like a sudden change in any test that you might undergo is a flag as to something is amiss. Maybe it's easily explained (divorce) or maybe it's something that needs to be discussed (depression, illness, medical malady).

This is the correct answer. If guys thought about things for a minute they would understand the reason for the question. Your explanation is right on.

 

[CKN]

Stop wasting peoples' time. No one likes asking these questions but the government forces them.

Yes-Medicare mandates certain questions annually. But you get very low cost Medical care for this "prying".

 

[Dave_T]

I really like the online portals, in the Carolinas most all use "MyChart" by Epic and they can access and get your medical records from other providers pretty much hassle free with no paperwork involved. We recently moved and I downloaded 480 pages of my medical records to a drive at home so I would always have them, AMAZING seeing the doctors side of test results.

Last Dr appt in our new area I printed out 14 pages of tests and procedures done by another medical network hundreds of miles away that I knew he would find helpful. He did find it helpful and kept them. During that appt he actually showed me his computer screen that some stuff was already populating. 4 days later I found ALL my medical records now on the new medical providers "MyChart"
I didnt have to lift a finger.

I love the pre-check in as well. I no longer have to fill out paperwork when I arrive for an appt and any meds I take are in there too.
I do get the part of some of the questions are crazy, some are prying to establish if you are in a state of depression.
The firearm one I think is Uncle Sam requirements (not sure) Anyway, what I am saying, if uncomfortable answering those types of questions, dont but the alcohol, illegal drugs, sex ect is health related, yet if uncomfortable lie. Most dont I would think but what do I know.

Talking about "My Chart" another nice thing is any meds are listed in there, your doctors ect. Lets say you think you are feeling something, like with your heart but its not something you at that point think its important but you dont know because you are not a Dr, you can message the doctor and someone will reply in 48 hours or less. I sent over a dozen ECG read outs from my Apple Watch to my Cardiologist office, recordings from the middle of the night when I experienced a racing heart. They would look them over and decide if it was life threatening. Because of those read outs, some time later, they had me come in for more tests and hooked up a 48 hour monitor to my chest, it was those results that successfully ended in a cardiac ablation, problem solved since Nov 2022

Absolutely as the My Chart system is one of the best things to happen with modern medicine. Those that don't have access are really missing out. Being able to schedule appts, request refills, request a referral, contact the physician directly with no wasted time/visit, see any test result, doctor's notes/summaries, etc.

 

[JohnnyG]

The firearms one does bug me. I don't know if they are reading tea leaves or what.

Technically since most firearm owners actually fire their firearms on some basis, there is a lead exposure risk. Which can present itself as various symptoms. To what degree doctors are using this bit of information when diagnosing a patient I am not sure--I suspect it ties more in with if a patient admits to depression.

Now, you know they're not concerned about lead exposure. At least not in the manner you think. There is a simple test for lead in the blood.
Data.

 

[Dave_T]

Yes-Medicare mandates certain questions annually. But you get very low cost Medical care for this "prying".

No doubt as although I'm a bit younger than most on Medicare I find their coverage to be quite good and those annual wellness questions are a bit much, but necessary for the physician to ask. Have I fallen in the last 6 months? Nope and don't plan to... Do I have any issues with bladder or bowel control? Nope as I refuse to be bothered by that, bwahaha. Do I feel threatened in my own home? Lmao on that, do I appear like I would feel threatened by anyone anywhere?

 

[Vil_Riker]

Statistically, firearms are a health hazard that's why there is a question about that. Not sure how actionable it is because not a single doctor or clinician, unless the owner has dementia, will do anything about it.

 

[John105]

I am hearing some bazaar stuff but Im not doubting you, I just am wondering how a Dr makes those remarks. He maybe right but I find it hard to believe. Maybe put another way, no insurance company is going to pay for such blood tests without a cause other than the standard annual physical stuff. Heck, even Medicare doesnt allow some standard annual bloodiest stuff unless there is a documented medical reason. For example a Dr can not run a A1C test "just because" some insurance will not pay it and Medicare will not pay it unless you are a diabetic. So to go fishing around using blood tests by a Dr is not that easy. He can not blanket test everything in your blood without a reason for symptoms of the insurance wont pay.

Im not an expert but these are my experiences.

I would think a doctor has free rein to prescribe anything at all that he wants. The catch is that some procedures require prior authorization, like a MRI or maybe even a CT scan. Not a blood test. This doctor even screened me and my wife for HIV about 17 years ago, which frankly surprised me. If positive, that is reported to the CDC from what I had been told, and I didn't consent to such a test.

 

[Vil_Riker]

I would think a doctor has free reign to prescribe anything at all that he wants. The catch is that some procedures require prior authorization, like a MRI or maybe even a CT scan. Not a blood test. This doctor even screened me and my wife for HIV about 17 years ago, which frankly surprised me. If positive, that is reported to the CDC from what I had been told, and I didn't consent to such a test.

If you have Medicare Advantage, almost all the care you need has to be prior authorized. Quite often it is denied. We were worried about death panels, and they are here and no ones cares.

Don't get Medicare Advantage, stay with traditional.

 

[John105]

If you have Medicare Advantage, almost all the care you need has to be prior authorized. Quite often it is denied. We were worried about death panels, and they are here and no ones cares.

Don't get Medicare Advantage, stay with traditional.

I see....we just have your typical PPO now through my wife, was through me < 2023.....

Recently, my son's dentist wanted to do qty 3 pediatric crowns. They require a prior auth.

Being diligent, I called the day of to the insurance, no prior auth was requested.

I told my wife to leave. The insurance rep stayed on the line with me while they called the dentists' office.

A nasty woman gets on and says no we don't do prior auths they're not necessary. The insurance said yes they are for crowns. Woman goes I've been here 25 years and I've never done a prior auth.

Then I say well we can't do the appt. and the nasty woman says then you'll be charged for a missed visit. WTH?

Then the insurance co goes this is a recorded line and the office was advised, so you (me) cannot be charged nor liable for any services today. So I say ok we'll do the visit.

Miraculously, my son no longer needed 3 crowns. I think there are times we can hate the playa and the game.

 

[Zee09]

Stop wasting peoples' time. No one likes asking these questions but the government forces them.

How am I wasting anyone's time? I am paying for that time remember. They like it and laugh and it breaks the monotony.

 

[Passport1]

I had a medical admin job once that involved screening patients for various clinics. Most of the questions on the script I asked patients about were pretty mundane and pertinent to their visits. One clinic I screened patients was gyn infertility. Some of the female patients were stunning frank and eager to answer the questions. At times I was a little embarrassed to have to ask the questions and sometimes I felt a bit voyeuristic.

Yes medical questions may be necessary and other times silly.