Sean Camden

And then I get this a few hours later.

To: Sean Camden
From: Doctor #2 MD
Received: 04/14/2011 5:39 PM

Sean,

I would make an appointment. Just as an aside, the email system should be used only if you can wait 24-48 hours for a response. It is not for more urgent needs.

Hope that helps

Doctor #2.

Which is interesting, since I can’t actually find anywhere on the site that says “Only use this if you can wait one or two days for a response.” It says, “Send nonurgent health questions to your doctor’s office.”

I’m unsatisfied with this. I want the interface to work. If the doctor is in, it should not say that he is out. And in the event that it reports things incorrectly, I would like the doctors to accept responsibility for their organization’s system and apologize for my inconvenience. And if I can’t expect what in my opinion is a modicum of service, then why am I paying so dearly for it? Shouldn’t this level of sloppy service be easily achieved by some socialist healthcare system?

I waited a day and then sent this:

Head Cold, 11 days
To: Doctor #2 MD
From: Sean Camden
Sent: 04/14/2011 1:47 PM

Should I be trying to infer something from your lack of response?

And I sent another message to doctor #2 just in case.

Head cold, 10 days
To: Doctor #2 MD
From: Sean Camden
Sent: 04/13/2011 11:49 AM

It’s been going on since Sunday the 3rd and my left ear hasn’t unplugged for any notable length of time. Doctor #1 still shows as being ‘out of office.’

I wrote back a few days later because things hadn’t improved.

Head Cold, 10 days
To: Doctor #1 MD
From: Sean Camden
Sent: 04/13/2011 11:36 AM

I came down with this Sunday of last week and it has not improved by any notable amount. Any new advice?

P.S. I really don’t blame you for being confused. The patient-facing interface of [this web based messaging system] is a train-wreck of unintuitive design, so I expect the doctor-facing side must be at least as bad. You still appear to be “out of office.” Of course, maybe you really are out of office and you simply neglected to mention that in your last email.

Here’s what all that wood looks like in Sketchup.

Here’s the Sketchup file: recovered-wood.skp

The response came from my primary doctor.

RE: Cold leading to ear ache
To:Sean Camden
From: Doctor #1 MD
Received: 04/07/2011 1:36 PM

Hi Sean

Doctor #2 and I are a bit confused as to who you identify as your Doc. Either way is fine but we request you only email one or the other to avoid confusion

Almost all of these illness are viral. Most take 5 -7 days for improvement and resolve on their own. Viruses do not respond to antibiotic. A true bacteria sinus infection is a secondary infection and actually a fairly unusual complication of a viral upper respiratory illness. These come on after 7 – 10 days. They are usually characterized by a cold which doesn’t improve after 7 -10 days or one that improves and then becomes worse.

Green or colored mucous is frequently seen in a viral illness, so we can’t differentiate viral from bacterial based on this.

I would suggest over the counter cold remedies and salt water nasal rinses. These are comfort measures and don’t speed up the recovery process, but can relieve some of the symptoms. Please inform patient to follow-up if any new symptoms, things worsen or fail to improve in the next 4 -5 days.

Take care.

Dr. #1