10/13/2023
Everyone is wondering why it takes over a month to get an appointment with me - so here's my short answer - patient needs have increased in number and complexity, almost doubling my previous requests - and there is still only one of me.
Since the pandemic began physicians all over the world have noticed a significant rise in people requesting assessment for adult ADHD and Autism disorders. We attribute this to the change in circumstances which caused people who were previously functioning ok to suddenly have difficulty coping; there has also been a huge increase in social media awareness of these disorders (which is great) and less stigma about coming forward (which is also great). Unfortunately, ADHD assessments and management take a lot of time in the first year, which I gladly give, but this takes from available time for other appointments. We BEG you, if you want to talk about possible ADHD, please make sure you tell Yolanda when booking, and she will make sure there is enough time and that you have done the homework before the appointment.
Otherwise there has been an absolutely deluge of people calling and emailing every day about mental health challenges, and it is more than I can manage with the urgency that people feel they need. Again, these assessments take a lot of time, and so my days are running increasingly further and further behind. I'm attaching the provincial websites for Mental Health resources and crisis resources below. Your family doctor should be helping with managing your chronic mental health concerns, but other professionals are available during a crisis.
The waitlist for almost all consultants and investigations has nearly doubled, so we are managing more complex medical concerns longer than before and functioning at an "almost specialist" level more than ever before. This means a lot of extra time gets spent researching and coming up with solutions to help while waiting to see the other specialists.
And then there is all the paperwork from schools, employers and insurance companies which has also doubled in recent years. Everyone needs "a note" for something, and they need it ASAP. Or their insurance company needs a form completed within 30 days - but there are already 50 similar forms waiting over a year. It's just all too much.
And so the normal family medicine concerns -acute infections, injuries, exacerbations of inflammatory disorders like asthma, Crohn's and arthritis, menstrual conditions, chronic medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, liver, kidney, gastrointestinal, chronic pain, skin conditions etc are all getting crammed into a smaller available space, leaving almost no room for preventative health care (like mammograms, osteoporosis screening, infant, child and geriatric assessments).
Both Yolanda & I are working longer and harder than ever before, and just like a computer with too many windows open, that probably means we are being less effective. We want to thank the 99% of you who are understanding and patient when you have to wait for an appointment, or when your visit/call is 2 hours behind or gets rescheduled. We're honestly doing our best.
Yes, we recommend everyone get your influenza and COVID vaccinations on schedule just like Dr. Fitzgerald recommends. You can get them through your pharmacist or your public health nurses in the community, we simply don't have time to add them in.
Thanks for understanding.
24 hour Province-Wide Mental Health Crisis Phone Line: Tel: (709) 737-4668 Toll-free: 1-888-737-4668 Mobile Crisis Response Team (St. John’s Region) Tel: (709) 737-4668 Website: http://www.easternhealth.ca/WebInWeb.aspx?d=2&id=2375&p=2106 24 hour Walk-in Crisis Service: […]
