31 Dec Waiting Times
I have been making observations that patients are simply waiting too long before they have the information that they need in order to make an informed decision.
I have been receiving quite a few emails and phone calls talking to lots of patients and family members out there about their diagnosis and experiences. I thoroughly enjoy being able to touch base and to hear all of your own personal stories and triumphs.
At the same time, it seems to me that there is an underlying theme, and it has to do with time. It seems as if once people are told that they have a diagnosis of cancer, that you have to wait days, weeks, and at times months before anything is ever done about.
I struggle with this since I feel strongly that patients and family members should not be made to wait. I feel that once the work is done, and the information is back in the hands of providers, that it is their obligation to get that information back to patients in a timely fashion. I also believe that once a person is told that they have cancer, that time seems to become of the “essence” and more important.
People should not have to wait that long to get in to see a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, or a surgeon. Patients should be able to see a physician as quickly as possible, be able to get all of the information, and then be able to have the time to make a decision that is best for them prior to having anyone begin treatment.
I want to know how all of you feel about this as well.
Do you feel in your own experiences that you had to wait too long before you got the answers you needed, and before you had a plan of action?
Do you feel that you had all of the options for treatment prior to a physicians beginning your treatment?
Did you meet with a chemotherapy doctor or a radiation doctor prior to having surgery?
How would you feel if you could go to a place that from the moment you are told you have cancer, that you could have a complete plan of your treatment options from your cancer doctors within 3 days?
Would this be something that would be meaningful and important to you as a patient and to your family members?
~CancerGeek
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As always please feel free to contact me directly and I will respond to you within 24 hours. I can be reach at: CANCERGEEK@GMAIL.COM
Happy New Year to everyone!
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