Seven And A Half, Apparently
IGNORING & INATTENTIVE, MEDICAL OFFICE, PATIENTS, TEXAS, USA | HEALTHY | APRIL 1, 2021
I work for a dermatology office that is temporarily renting an office inside a cardiology company, and we even share a waiting room with one of their doctors. I’m used to their patients coming to my window, but most notice the signs around the window that notify everyone we are a dermatology office. I’m still baffled how this lady didn’t get the clue.
She comes up and taps on the glass, right on the sign that says, “Please Do Not Tap On Glass.”
Me: “Yes, ma’am?”
Lady: “I don’t understand some of this wording.”
She places a clipboard with cardiology new patient forms on it in front of me.
Me: “Oh, I don’t—”
Lady: “What’s a triple bypass?”
Me: “You should probably—”
Lady: “Do I need to mark any surgeries, too? I haven’t had any. What do I mark here?”
Me: “I don’t know. I work for the derm—”
Lady: “How many of these do I need to mark here?”
Me: “I don’t know. This is—”
Lady: “And what is hypertension?”
Me: “High blood pressure. And this is the wrong office.”
Lady: “How do I know if I have high blood pressure?”
Me: “I think you need to ask the other window over there.”
Lady: “What’s a PCP?”
Me: *Sighs* “I don’t know.”
I do but I’m tired of being ignored.
Lady: “What about tachybradia?”
Me: “I don’t know.”
Lady: “How do I find out if I had a tachybradia?”
Me: “I don’t know. This is [Doctor’s] office. Not cardiology.”
Lady: “Am I going to get a stress test today?”
Me: “I don’t know. This isn’t cardiology.”
Lady: “If I get a stress test, do I need my husband to do anything for me?”
Me: “I don’t know. This isn’t cardiology.”
Lady: “Why don’t you know anything?”
Me: “Because this isn’t the cardiology office.”
I point to the specialty sign for our office right in front of her.
Lady: “Oh. I need to use the restroom. Let me in.”
Me: “Sure. Go to the second door and I’ll let you through.”
She walks over to the actual cardiology window instead so they can buzz her through. Since she forgot her paperwork, I carry it over to their window and explain that she has some questions.
Cardiology: “Yeah, we heard her from over here. You had more patience than we would have. How many times did she need to hear, ‘I don’t know,’ before she got a clue?”
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