I was terminated as a patient of this practice because I refused to submit to a medical procedure - a follow up ultrasound. Here's the background: first, I had a thyroid ultrasound, and then - a biopsy which was negative. A few weeks later, I received a call that I needed to get a follow up ultrasound because there is a 3 percent false negative rate on the biopsy. I did not think it was necessary to do the follow up u/s - especially such a short time later. I informed Dr. K and his staff that I did not want or see the need for the u/s. Within a week, I received a letter - via certified mail!!! - that if I did not get the u/s, I would be terminated from the practice.
I find the strong arm tactics to be unacceptable. I am the patient and I want to assume the (very small) risk and decline a procedure, then the doctor should respect that. As a professional myself (an attorney), I do realize that it is within a physician's right to choose who they want to provide services to. However, it leaves a very poor impression of this practice - that a patient must do as the doctor says or be shown the door. A better choice would be to ask the patient to sign some kind of waiver.
I will also mention, while I am at it, that the other doctor in the practice, Dr. Q, scared the bejeezus out of me causing me panic that I have never felt. It was he who conducted the first ultrasound. At the ultrasound, he pointed out that I have thyroid nodules and discussed the various reasons that the u/s scan looked suspicious and could be cancerous. For weeks, I freaked out that I had cancer and imagined my children motherless. When I finally convinced myself to go in for the biopsy, I was crying.. they asked me why I was so upset - I told them my fears - and THEN they tell me that the chances of it being benign were like 90+ some percent. And that even if it were cancer, it is a very slow moving easy cancer to treat. If Dr. Q had mentioned that at the first u/s appointment, I could have been saved a heck of a lot of anguish.
I gave two stars instead of one because Dr K is probably one of the friendliest doctors I've met - and his staff is also very friendly.. cared for my baby even while I got the biopsy. read more