Just One More Question . . . .
By: John Christoforetti, MD, Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeon
Maryland Orthopedic Specialists
The four words uttered by a great number of orthopedic sports medicine patients at the end of their visit: "just one more question . . ." It's only natural that the brief time allotted for in-network evaluation of shoulder, hip or knee injury pressures both me and the patient. It's difficult to strike a perfect amount of questions and answers in a comprehensive evaluation and discussion- but we try our best each time. This blog series is dedicated to the most common areas I hear after those four words that let me know our job is not complete. Hopefully it will help patients prepare for their next visit and their four last words will be "thanks I get it!"
An Insider's Perspective on "Getting Roomed"
When you go see your ortho doc, you know there will be lots of paperwork, and a little waiting if you plan to use your health insurance to pay for your visit. What may surprise you is that there are lots of requirements for the office due to government and insurance regulations or policies - and each year of my practice the list grows. It's easy for our patients to feel like they are asked the same questions electronically, on forms or by our staff, and that's frustrating to say the least.
The process of moving from the time you check-in to the time your visit begins with the doctor is known as intake and rooming to healthcare insiders. During this stage, some required things happen like getting your height and weight recorded, reviewing your medications and verifying your pharmacy. I'll cover the "why" on the height and weight in a future post, but I do believe this step is important. For this short blog post, I want to focus on how to win with intake. One tip during this phase is to be aware and accurate of your own information in advance of your appointment- this speeds things up for you when you are with us and also if things need to be "called in" or e-prescribed after you've left. This includes gathering the actual medical records, imaging discs and reports, and being patient with the staff as they collect it all.
In my office, we also ask you to participate with clinical outcomes tracking, which means we use surveys that collect Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO's). While answering digital questions may seem slow, these surveys actually help us understand the true impact of your sports injury or condition. Stay tuned for another blog post dedicated to these PRO's.
Once you've made it to your private room, it is your chance to tell your story. Your story matters and the team is trained to interview you in a way that keeps your visit moving along. They are sports medicine experts known as Certified Athletic Trainers (ATC). I've instructed them on which questions to ask and how to ask them. These include questions about you as a person, your activity goals and challenges, how you've found my office, and your goals for the visit. A tip for this rooming interview: I do ask the staff what you told them and your answers will help us streamline your visit and focus the needed evaluation and discussion. This includes sharing with the staff what questions you will want answered in as clearly and completely as possible- if they can answer them right away, your visit is already ahead of the game!
A last tip is about picking the best attire for the visit. Even if you have an appointment on a work or school day, consider bringing a gym bag with exercise shorts and a top that provides you with coverage for sensitive areas but allows the team to view and examine your shoulders if your trouble is in your neck or arms. You can certainly use the room to change into your exam clothing after the staff completes their interview- we do have paper shorts and gowns if you forget, so don't stress!
At this point, you've been "roomed" and hopefully you have already put yourself and our team in the best position to understand you as a person and get to work on your behalf!
If you or someone you know is suffering from an injury, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced orthopaedic surgeons or therapists at CAO. We are committed to helping our patients achieve optimal outcomes and return to their active lifestyles as quickly and safely as possible. Schedule an appointment with a specialist today!