Dr. Sharon Orrange
Primary Care Physician
Dr. Orrange received her BA in Biology at the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters Degree in Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She received her MD from the USC Keck School of…
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LOCATION: Santa Monica, CA, USA
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AFFILIATIONS:
  • Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Geriatric, Hospital and General Internal Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
YEARS IN PRACTICE: 15
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10 Things Your Primary Care Doctor Does That Should Make You Run for the Hills
158
Posted in Alcoholism by Dr. Sharon Orrange on Oct 03, 2008

In the last year I've had the opportunity to be a patient and a Doctor. I have frustrations like you do so I came up with my list. 


1) Dr X leaves you waiting more than 45 minutes in the room on more than one occasion without an explanation or a quick apology when entering the room "I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Another way to handle it is to have the nurse let you know "Dr X is running 30 minutes late today so you can grab a coffee or a magazine"


2) Dr X's office provides no way for you to reach a HUMAN VOICE afterhours or on the weekends if you have a medical issue that requires attention THAT NIGHT.


3) Dr X smells like cigarette smoke. I get it...it's a hard habit to kick....but you can't smell like cigarettes when you are going to counsel your patients about modifying their risk factors for stroke and heart disease. You should cut it out during your clinic day.


4) Dr X doesn't touch you. You have a specific complaint (shortness of breath, knee pain, sore throat) and your primary care doctor doesn't look or listen to the affected area....maybe I'm old school but the answer so often lies in the physical exam


5) You are having severe pain (i.e. back pain after you lifted a couch), not relieved with over the counter meds, and Dr X is unwilling to prescribe pain meds for breakthrough pain because "they are addictive". We are dismal at treating pain in the primary care setting for unfounded fears of this. Short term use of Vicodin, Tylenol with codeine, etc for treatment of acute pain is completely fine for most patients.


6) You are talking about feeling depressed, sad or discussing a painful life event (the recent loss of a parent, etc) and you start to cry.... and you notice Dr X appears uncomfortable and tries to change the subject. Bad news.


7) A recent study showed that during 30% of primary care visits the doctor spent more time talking about themselves than they did the patient. Ok my patients often ask me how my kids are. 30 seconds...that's the amount of time I spend talking about myself. This visit is about YOU and we are already limited in what we can do in 15 minutes.


8) Dr X says "that's just part of getting old" when you have a complaint. Its true: arthritis, visual changes, decreased hearing, sun damaged skin are among the fun things that go along with getting old but WE CAN STILL HAVE A PLAN to deal with them and alter their course.


9) Dr X delivers bad news (loss of a pregnancy, a positive STD test, a new cancer diagnosis) with language that is short, sharp, rushed and without emotion. Some news will change a person's life forever and they will always remember that moment.....to add to it with a cold delivery is just painful.


10) Dr X can't say "I don't know what that is....but let's make sure it's not something worrisome". Often a patient has a pain, skin lesion, weird symptom that occurs only when they are doing such and such activity and I don't know WHAT it is. But it's your doc's job to admit that...and say they will do their best to monitor it and rule out worrisome things.


Am I missing anything? 


Dr O.





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MEMBER COMMENTS
TOTAL COMMENTS: 158 - View All Comments »

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Displaying comments 158-139 of 158
158
Thanks for the great article. I wish we could hang this article in every doctor's office. Too many people put up with their drs. not acting appropriately. Some people just don't know their patient rights.
By Sueace  Dec 23, 2012
157
I almost left this site when I saw your article on hypochondria but I decided i did not have to have contact with you and stayed. I have since read a few other things you have written I like this and others. My Grandma dies at 47 my mom at 49 and I a endstage IPF at 47. I have made it to 50 by the grace of god and like mom at the end test for autoimmune started coming up positive though i still have negative ana i am positive for ssb's. This is the most I'm allowed but maybe you're not so bad.
By tjneedlungs  Nov 14, 2012
156
Am I the only one who noted that you posted this article in the Alcoholism group but indicated about treating pain and short-course drugs that have addictive properties without indicating any sort of consideration for the patient's addiction history? Knowing the vulnerabilities of people with addiction, another thing a primary care doc does that should make you run for the hills: prescribes addictive substances without checking for addiction history and discussing it accordingly.
By Mosiegirl  Jun 11, 2012
155
Dr. Orange, you should write an article for 10 things your therapist does that should make you run for the hills, next.
By dkbraymond  Jun 01, 2012
154
Ok how about your dr mistaking you for a different patient? I never went back to her. That's how people end up having operations on the wrong body part. sheeesh just peek at my chart before the appointment!
By miniapplecocoa  May 01, 2012
153
Ok how about your dr mistaking you for a different patient? I never went back to her. That's how people end up having operations on the wrong body part. sheeesh just peek at my chart before the appointment!
By miniapplecocoa  May 01, 2012
152
They do it to us all .. intentionally .. it creates and maintains the perception of authority .. This is taught in the US is of prime importance for patient compliance .. it helps their billing practices to .. doubtful is an unintended consequence.
By mattincr  Jan 23, 2012
151
They don't say "I'll be right back" or Excuse me while i check on something" or " Thank you, good bye" or Bye now, pay on the way out!" ...nothing is said to me, they just leave the room and I am left sitting there naked with a paper gown on, wondering when the Dr will be coming back in. I end up peeking out into the hall until I can catch a staff person to ask when the Dr will be back.... I am always told, he/she is in seeing the next patient, you are done. Come back in 2 months.
By AZfibromom  Dec 02, 2011
150
They don't say "I'll be right back" or Excuse me while i check on something" or " Thank you, good bye" or Bye now, pay on the way out!" ...nothing is said to me, they just leave the room and I am left sitting there naked with a paper gown on, wondering when the Dr will be coming back in. I end up peeking out into the hall until I can catch a staff person to ask when the Dr will be back.... I am always told, he/she is in seeing the next patient, you are done. Come back in 2 months.
By AZfibromom  Dec 02, 2011
149
My Dr of 15 yrs suddenly began making sarcastic remarks and scoffing at the treatments that specialists he had referred me to were giving me. I had adored and respected him for years and now he was acting as if my well documented illnesses were imaginary and treated me with ridicule. I made a complaint to my insurance and began searching for a new dr. My insurance company recommended an internist but I have not found one that accepts both my insurances.
By Bee08  Oct 30, 2011
148
My Dr of 15 yrs suddenly began making sarcastic remarks and scoffing at the treatments that specialists he had referred me to were giving me. I had adored and respected him for years and now he was acting as if my well documented illnesses were imaginary and treated me with ridicule. I made a complaint to my insurance and began searching for a new dr. My insurance company recommended an internist but I have not found one that accepts both my insurances.
By Bee08  Oct 30, 2011
147
I would feel much better if upon entering the room and greeting the patient that the Dr. or Nurse used a quick sanitizer on their hands before touching me and all the surfaces in the room.

It also seems important that the person you are seeing makes physical contact of some kind, be it a handshake or a little pat on the back as you are leaving. Taking the human element out of a visit leaves the patient feeling as if they were not treated as a "real" person.
By Grantcountyguy  May 22, 2011
146
Dr X says, well, you're a middle aged, overweight woman with nothing wrong with you - your BP and cholesterol are normal - your blood sugar is fine - but you're fat, so you need to go for a sleep study. What?
By RoseisRose  May 20, 2011
145
#10 - When I was 18 years old, I went in with a shooting, stabbing, and burning pain in my left side wrapping around to my spine. There were no bruises, lesions, or any signs that there was damage. After being passed around to several doctors, unofficial diagnosis at least three times a week, and four months of testing.. they finally diagnosed me with Post-Herpetic Neuralgia. I had Shingles months earlier.. how was I supposed to know a rash was going to change my entire life? But now that I know what it is, when I type my symptoms into any search site, PHN is what shows up.
By Kenna21  Apr 19, 2011
144
I indicated in depth knowledge of a specific condition in a recent visit with a physician who very quickly cut me off, pronounced the name of the condition with letters that didn't belong in it, and gave the bubble-gum wrapper explanation of the disease. He then told me my information was wrong. I can point to multiple scholarly works that support my information. This doc definitely failed on #10. I don't expect the doctor to know everything. I expect him to either look into it, or make a referral on my behalf!
By ConnieB40023  Mar 12, 2011
143
Should we be worried that our primary doctor send us out to a specialist every time we need something? I feel like he can't handle anything in his office.
By cavchick  Jan 11, 2011
142
#8 is exactly what my doctor said to me. I complained that one of my finger joints hurt, and without looking at it, she said I was getting old and having an arthritis. She did nothing for me. It was back in March, and last month I was diagnosed with RA, and I found out it is one of the first symptoms of RA. I made sure to change my primary doctor.
By puffster  Nov 14, 2010
141
When your Dr won't talk to you on the phone with test results that are bad news.... but has the nurse call that the Dr. is referring you to another Dr. because of the "results of the test". No other explanation....
Or pulls you from a specialist, who is actually treating you, to treat you them self and then finds the result you were being treated for and sent you to a NEW specialist who did "all of the above"..... I DID get a new physician.
By SSP1  Oct 20, 2010
140
Add when the first answer from the Drs. mouth regarding pain or health issue is " I think your depressed and here's some Paxil".
Have had this from a Dr. when I was having chest pain that later turned into a heart attack, the answer to complaints of Fatigue, exhaustion and SOB before the Pulmonary test showed stage 3-4 COPD, for an injured back.... etc.
Seems like many Drs now want to just offer a feel good pill instead of checking things out so RUN and Run Fast if the Dr. blows you off and just offers feel good pills!
By ldozy1  Oct 20, 2010
139
Thanks so much Dr. O --- you truly have explained what I have seen several times. I just had a visit with a movement disorder neuro doc re: Parkinson's at a large medical college. The appt was supposed to be for 1 hour. She came 40 min late, never said a word and rushed the exam. I had already been dx with PD, had brought the dictation and test results with me and went to her for further advice of treatment. The exam was so fast and incomplete, then she acted like I was ok as I was sitting there trembling right in front of her!
By Barbell  Oct 19, 2010
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