Seven Actions That May Save Your Life
Hi, I am HypoGal, and I blog from the experience of having a rare disease, Sheehan's Syndrome, and Relapsing Polychondritis.
Included in this blog, “The Gatekeeper ”, states the seven most important actions you should take when you schedule a doctor’s appointment. Please note, the Gatekeeper is a.k.a. the person who can save your life.
All doctors, especially high in demand specialist have a Gatekeeper. The Gatekeeper schedules patients appointments and may also handle the doctor’s clerical work. The doctor’s patient volume usually determines if the doctor has one Gatekeeper in charge of their patient schedule. The Gatekeeper usually knows the doctors personality and demeanor very well. The Gatekeeper knows when the doctor goes to lunch, what hours and days they work. The Gatekeeper knows when the doctor is scheduled to attend a conference or go on vacation.
Please be sure to remember that the Gatekeeper is a person. On my Sheehan’s Syndrome journey I have found that most Gatekeepers are women. Women usually have more empathy for other women.
The Gatekeeper can usually relate well to multi-tasking that a woman and mother must accomplish each day. Most important, at least, to me, HypoGal, the Gatekeeper usually wants to help an ill person receive prompt medical attention.
Sometimes a doctor can not see you a patient for months, and some doctors do not see new patients. If this has been your experience then you need to make sure you do the following seven actions:
- 1. Avoid the Gatekeeper. Before you try to schedule an appointment with a highly sought after specialist ask your doctor if they can phone this doctor and have you seen immediately. This has been my most successful means to secure a doctor's appointment. Please note, just as this action has been successful for me in my past, even some doctors are not able, to get past the Gatekeeper.
- 2. What is the best time to schedule an appointment? When you schedule an appointment don’t phone at the beginning of the day. The start of the day is usually the busiest time. Most Gatekeepers take a late lunch between 12:30-2:00 PM. The best time to try to schedule is between 2:30-3:30 PM. This is the best timeframe because the Gatekeeper has had a chance to catch up after lunch and is not yet ready to leave their office for the day.
- 3. Be polite and courteous to the Gatekeeper. The Gatekeeper is the person who will determine when you are seen by the doctor. Make sure that you have this person’s name and be sure to use her name when you ask for her assistance. For example, Anna, I appreciate your help.
- 4. Schedule the appointment. If the doctor doesn’t have any immediately dates available than plan the first date that is available. After you schedule your appointment, thank the Gatekeeper for their help. If your appointment date is not in a reasonable time frame then again, briefly convey why you have an immediate need for an office visit. Ask the Gatekeeper if you may phone back weekly to see if there have been any cancelations. Also, ask the GateKeeper to please immediate phone you if there are any cancelations.
- 5. Follow up. If the Gatekeeper has approved a weekly follow up call- then call. Remember her name and thank her for her time. If she has been polite and helpful to you, then send her a thank you note. Keep the thank you note brief, sincere and include your phone number and email address.
- 6. Assume the close. Ask the Gatekeeper if she can send you the patient paperwork. Convey to the Gatekeeper that you would like to complete the paperwork ahead of time so the doctor will have your current information on file.
- 7. Plan B. If you are still not able to schedule an appointment within a reasonable time frame then you need to move on to a plan B. What is Plan B? Schedule an appointment with your second choice. If you are diagnosis with a serious medical condition, it is always a good idea to have a second opinion.
I hope that my HypoGal’s Gatekeeper experiences can help you. I would also like you to keep in mind that the Gatekeeper can be your advocate.
The Gatekeeper can tell the doctor why he should see you at an earlier date or why he should take you as a new patient. And in closing, please know that the Gatekeepers have the ability to double book the doctor.
You can read more about Sheehan's Syndrome on my HypoGal Website and HypoGal Blog
You can read about my journey with Disability Insurance on Amazon's number 1 ranked business law book HypoGal and Disability Benefits
