Do you have one cf doctor or many cf doctors?

[amber682]

Just curious as to how many of you (or your children) see primarily one cf doctor or see a few different doctors. Which would you prefer? I don't mean RTs or dieticians or nurses, I mean doctors only.

My son used to go to clinic in RI. We saw the same dr. every visit. We met two other doctors from the clinic, but they never had my son as a patient.
At the clinic in CT we go to now, he is seen by a couple different doctors. We were told we will see whoever is working on the day we visit, basically. We've met all the doctors, especially since Vinny was hospitalized.

I liked the idea of always seeing the same doctor, he knows my son better. Now I do see the value of being seen by a different doctors, they'll have varying opinions on some things. They said though that they have a meeting every friday to discuss patients and review charts. I just feel like they don't have as much experience with my son because they don't see him every time, so technically if he doesn't have a sick visit for a while and we go every three months, some of the docs could go very long periods of time without seeing him (or listening to his lungs). I guess I just don't like change! Especially when I was perfectly happy with the way things were!

Just wanted to see what experiences you all have had or what you think.

 

[Allisa35]

Well, the clinic I go to uses 2 doctors, but they usually just use one doctor. Both are in the same pulmonology practice. I was seeing one dr. for while, but the last couple of years it has been the other doctor. I don't know if their schedules got too busy and he wasn't able to do it anymore or what. But I am familiar with both doctors and feel they both know me. How many doctors do they have at your clinic? I think I would prefer to see one doctor myself too. I think it makes things easier.

 

[DEES4]

My son sees the same doctor at every scheduled clinic. He only sees a different doctor if he is sick and his doctor is not there. I am like you I dont like seeing different doctors because they dont know him or his history like his primary doctor.
Carrie

 

[anonymous]

I've been to 7 clinics in my short life. I've never seen this. That doesn't mean it's not right but I don't think I would like it. I feel it is important to build a bond with a doctor so they know where you are coming from on things because CF is very personal. I would fear that I'd have to re-hash things each clinic visit.

I bet the doctors have a schedule and you can choose to see a certain doctor if you make a appts. on their day. Many clinics only have one CF day each week so maybe they rotate the schedule. I'd look into that. Then you'd only see the other doc's if you have to go in for an unscheduled meeting.

 

[LouLou]

that was me.

 

[Ratatosk]

A few times a year we go to our CF doctor in the City. Doctor who specializes in CF and is affiliated with an accreditted CF clinic. We go to his regular office.

Locally there's a CF team made up of a pediatrician, another specializing in gastro, another is a pediatric pulmonologist. They take turns meeting with us then they discuss DS's status as a team, write a report and have the nurse contact us if there are any changes or concerns.

And then we also meet with a pediatric pharmacist to go over meds, a dietician, respiratory therapist and a social worker.

I prefer the individual doctor in the City. Sometimes if we ask our primary peds doctor a question at the local clinic, we're told that we have to ask the pulmonologist. Plus the CF clinic environment with a bunch of CFers sitting in a crowded waiting room makes me edgy.

These are regularly scheduled CF appointments. If something comes up -- an infection, etc. we either call the CF doctor in the City for advice or we try to get an appointment with someone in the peds department, but most of the time end up going to a nearby family practice clinic or urgent care.

 

[tammykrumrey]

We only have one CF doctor that we always see. The only time we see the other doctors in the Clinic is maybe during hospitalizations. I am not sure if I would like seeing all of the different ones or not. We love our doctor, and we have a great relationship when it comes to the care of my daughters. I guess my concern would be how to develop that same type of relationship when so many doctors are seen.
Good luck.

 

[coltsfan715]

When I was younger and in peds it varied. Initially I saw only one doctor. Then he passed away and I had to transfer to the Peds CF Center in town. When I went to the CF Center there were 3 doctors. I saw two of them equally at first. It was a similar situation where I got whoever was available. After a short time I developed a better relationship with the one doctor, so my appointments were made with him specifically versus whoever was available. As I got older new doctors were brought into the mix and some docs left (including the doc I prefered to see). There were still roughly 3 doctors though - initially I saw all of them for a period of time when they had the staff changes - then again I became more familiar with one and ended up seeing her on a more regular basis than the others.

By the time I moved to adults, I was basically seeing just the one doctor at the CF Clinic even though there were three different docs. I only saw a different doc on emergeny type visits - where they had to work me in because I wasn't feeling well or something along those lines.

I say give it time and get to know all the docs and maybe there will be one that you prefer. Then you can try to mke your appointments on days that doctor will be available to see your son. It is good to have a relationship with all of the doctors within the clinic though - especially if there is potential that they will have influence on the treatment your son receives. Maybe talk to them and see if you could have a steady doc - but also see the others on occasions - like have the same doc for 3 or 4 visits then see a different one - then same doc for a few visits then a different one. Just an idea - that way they can all get to know your son but you feel more comfortable with them really getting to know him and his health issues.

Lindsey

 

[folione]

My son has been with the same CF doctor at his clinic since birth. He is now 3 years,5 months old. I think it has been very valuable that one person has seen him the whole time and talked to us the whole time because it establishes a better partnership rapport between parents/doctor/patient. By contrast, the 2 times he's been admitted and dealt with the parade of doctors in the hospital we've all had a much harder time because of the inevitable slight disparaties in advice by different doctors and we've had to spend alot of time explaining the different views to all the doctors to get them to reach a consensus. That inconsistency from Dr. to Dr. may not mean the wrong treatment plan is being devised, but it sure creates mental strain on us to try untangling it.

 

[Haileysmommy]

We always see the same DR unless Hailey is sick they get us in to see whoever is available. I really like seeing the same Dr because he knows everything about her.

 

[amber682]

Thank you for all the responses! We haven't yet had a regular scheduled clinic appt. We switched clinics, unfortunately, in the middle of an exacerbation. We had quite a few sick visits, and saw whoever was scheduled. But at the first visit they explained how there were a few doctors and my son would be seeing all of them (not on the same day) but not to worry because they have meetings every friday to discuss the patients. Our first real appt. (not sick) is oct. 11. I'm not sure which doctor we will see. I just liked how we saw one doctor only at the RI clinic, so I thought I'd see how you all do it. Maybe as time goes on they'll stick us with one doctor. I guess I'll add it to my list of questions for that visit. I've got a lot to talk to them about.

 

[fourkidsmom]

We actually had 4 cf doctors in the same office. One passed away about a year ago, the doctor that seemed to see our son the most. Our son sees any one of the 3 doctors, they all pretty much take care of him while during doctor visits and hospitalizations. We have never had a real issue of it being a problem, they seem to consult with each other about all the patients. According to the other posts this is unusal.

Fourkidsmom

 

[rcq925]

We have one CF doctor and our daughter always sees him, unless he is on vacation or out of the country, then we see a different doctor that is a pulmo and head of our hopsital's PICU, but he is not a CF clinic doctor.

 

[anonymous]

I feel one doctor is very important as you get older. For example I just went to see my doctor and my numbers were not improved but I felt better and he knew that just by talking to me. If I had seen some other doctor who didn't know me as well they would have just put me in the hospital no questions asked. It makes me feel safer to have one doctor who I bond with

Sue 24w/CF

 

[anonymous]

We take our son to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville Tennessee. There are 5 (pulm) doctors that run the clinic. We were told from the beginning that we will see ALL doctors at some point in his care. He is 10 weeks old and we have already seen 4 out of the 5<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif" border="0">

I really do wish they each had there "own" patients they saw on a regular basis. For instance during my sons recent hospital stay we fell in love with the (CF) doctor who was over his care the entire stay. But when we went back for our follow up appointment a week later, it was a different doctor. Kind of depressing!!! We have another follow up this coming Monday and I can only guess that it will be the 1 out of the 5 we haven't seen following up with us, just my luck!

Love the clinic though<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">; just wish we had continuous care by one doc!!!

Sherry

<img src="i/expressions/present.gif" border="0">Haliyah 3yrs (no CF)
<img src="i/expressions/present.gif" border="0">Briceton 10 weeks (CF Double DF508)

 

[Dustin82]

I have had 3 different doctors in a 24 year period which I think is pretty good. The first one passed a way from cancer the second got a better job in the same hostipal and this one I have now I have had for 2 or 3 years. I do have another doc just for my diabetes stuff to I see him two times a year. I think it is a good idea just to have one doc and to see the same one each time to.

Dustin 24
CFRD
Missouri

 

[thelizardqueen]

When I was in pediatrics, I saw 3 CF specialists, but since being moved to adults I am only seeing one doctor. I prefered seeing the 3 that I did as a kid, because it gave me more options of who to see if one doc wasn't in, etc.