Freedom of Speech: In a previous issue Dr. Davis called on the editor to censor or dismiss Dr. H. Paterson. Paterson’s content and levity emulate the Leacock writings. Are we so blindfolded that Paterson’s articles are deemed offensive. Freedom of speech is still sacrosanct.
Courtesy: AHS is redefining courtesy into non-existence. I thought the college had already defined this very well. It’s unfortunate that courtesy is not given as in the old days. The younger generation does not appear to recognize this, as you hear “he used to be a doctor.”
Fee Equity Committee: Formulae are applied it seems without any regard to consequences on practice. Last year a repeat consult list value and became less than a referred follow-up visit. How does this committee justify this anomaly?
e-Records: It is with great dismay that I learned that control of this has been passed on to Alberta Health. As long as I can remember, we felt that it was imperative that physicians have complete control of our records.
Investigative reports: I note that CLS sent a memo to physicians to assure that another physician was designated to receive reports when a physician is away. Unfortunately CLS is the biggest offender here. I always cc the family physician on the lab request. More often than not CLS adds a note to the report “inadequate information”.
If CLS published a list of physicians lab numbers, it would be easy to add this to the requisition and avoid errors and bypass the lab staff, who can’t bother to identify the physician by name.
More often than not hospitals Diagnostics Imaging ignores the request to send a copy of the report to the FP as indicated on the requisition.
Ditto discharge summaries. Although my name appears in the body of the report, I don’t get a copy. I was told “it’s on Netcare”. How am I supposed to know about the admission when the patient only returns 4+ months later!
SOM Benefits: Ceci boasted that we saved him $400 million. We faced more fee cuts. But the NDP government found ways to spend wildly.
College “confirmation”: Does the college not recognize that modern fax machines and emails advise you when a message is not delivered?
Clinical Medicine: I witnessed an intake nurse at the S. Chumir Urgent Care auscultate a WestJet flight attendant through at least two or more layers of her uniform! I hope a physician got to see her.
Men: When this strange substance is excreted, maybe men will stop trying to look like goats!
- Dr. Richard J. Kennedy