odd patient appointments reply summary
Barnhart Prosthetics
Description
Collection
Title:
odd patient appointments reply summary
Creator:
Barnhart Prosthetics
Date:
2/18/2010
Text:
Here are the responses I received after the original question:
Hello,
Here are the responses I received after the original question:
As I suspected, I am not alone in getting these types of calls. I don't recall if they happened at other offices I worked at previously, but have happened here off and on for at least 10 years. As some have said, you can usually predict that they won't show based on the scenario, not always multiple limb amputees, but frequently. I personally feel that the calls we receive are from someone with some issues, not a competitor or insurance and definitely not someone I have hired to check up on us.
In regards to the response indicating he knew someone who did this to mess with their competition, I'm not sure how this really caused much havoc. Sometimes an extra hole in the schedule is not a bad thing.
To clarify, I was not trying to say that the post about the bilateral Hip Disartic was in the same class, it just jogged my memory that I had meant to ask about this, as it had recently happened here.
As an Orthotist who I worked with in my Residency used to say: everybody's got to have a hobby
He also said that a CPO is like a spork, adequate at either job, but exceptional at neither.
Nathan Keepers, CPO
Hi All,
The recent post about a bilateral Hip Disartic reminded me of a somewhat frequent occurence that I was wondering if others shared.
Once in a while we will get a call from someone with a request for an evaluation for a prosthesis of some sort. It is commonly for a device that would be somewhat uncommon, or uncommon circumstances for our facility. (one time, was from a man who claimed that his wife was a new bilateral transhumeral amputee and wanted an appointment to discuss her options, not an everyday thing in our office.) An appointment will be made, and then the people never show up. The number they give most times does not work or rings and rings, and then never hear anything from the people. The last one was from a guy who called and wanted to discuss options about a prosthesis he got somewhere else and wasn't happy about. I got on the line to talk with him, he said a few words then hung up. We actually got the number he dialed from off caller ID, called back, got a machine for some guy on the east coast, and we're in Oregon. This sort of thing happens maybe 2
or 3 times a year for us.
I was just curious if this happens to others or if we're just the lucky recipients of this kind of weird attention? I will summarize responses.
(Hopefully I'm not inviting more of this twisted behavior by posting here publicly)
Thanks,
Nathan Keepers, CPO
Barnhart P and O
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I've seen that happen in other places. My last two employers were convinced it was competitors doing it - or having friends do it for them.
Neither had any proof though, but I did know a practitioner once who admitted to doing it to a competitor because they were jerks.
please do not include my name in this. Thanks!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi, I usually do not respond to much on the list serve but felt the need here. We also get those calls at about the same frequency of 3 to 4 times a year. The last one I can remember we received was someone calling asking if we work with quadrilateral amputations as his wife recently became a quad amputee. In our case they rarely ever actually make an appointment but they do make one wonder what it is all about.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Never had that problem and hope that I don't. We do have people call about consults, but they are all legitimate
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nathan,
YEP! We have this same thing occur 3-4 times a year. When 1st going out on my own about 6 yrs ago, we got them more frequently. We assumed it was our competitors either checking us out or (messing) with us.
It could also be an insurance company checking into how you handle difficult or delicate situations. Especially when the person reports having a prosthesis from another company or being unhappy/dissatisfied...we try to handle each caller respectfully, honestly & never dis-barrage another company/practitioner even when the called does.
You never know in todays' world!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When I worked in Southern California we experienced this oddity two to three times per year and could actually predict from future calls they would be a no show. Interesting what motivates this group by taking the time to do this. It was always a multiple limb loss story.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Worth investigating. It will be interesting to see if you uncover some strange market research schemas. A large national organization I briefly worked for, (a HOG) I won't name, revealed a few of their odd marketing charades. For example they would enter a hospital and have themselves paged. Such antics seem a bit unethical considering the innumerable legitimate demands for the attention of practitioners in healthcare service!
More success to you in your good works.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am prosthetic tech. in xxxxx.. Sounds like a pre audit audit if you know what i mean. I have worked for a total of 5 facilities, central fab included and although the latter is excluded from scrutiny, have heard of such attention
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Its just the times...weird people out there!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You know how superstitious we all are, now if that pt with the bilat hip disartic doesn't show up for his appt with Sharon we know who to blame! ;-)
I experience a fair amount of no-shows with prosthetic evals, and phone numbers that go out of service from time to time, these are people who sometimes live on lesser means and with other challenges such as health problems, transportation, etc. As far as the caller ID from another state, my personal cell number is a XX area code even though I have not lived there in 5 years. These days with cell phones and free long distance, it just doesn't matter a lot of times. And if he was on a cell, maybe he dropped the call, or he needed to take another call real quick? I wouldn't worry about it, I don't think it's a prankster or someone maliciously toying with your schedule..... I guess you never know though! I'll be curious to see if this is a phenomenon others have experienced.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I thought the same thing when I saw that post, Nathan
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,
Is someone being paid to check how you all answer the phone, basic
office procedures?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I've been in business 15 yrs and hasn't happened to me.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You are not alone. I was rather happy that one did not show up. He went on and on in our phone conversation about how much his wife's amputation turned him on. He was also an amputee.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hello,
Here are the responses I received after the original question:
As I suspected, I am not alone in getting these types of calls. I don't recall if they happened at other offices I worked at previously, but have happened here off and on for at least 10 years. As some have said, you can usually predict that they won't show based on the scenario, not always multiple limb amputees, but frequently. I personally feel that the calls we receive are from someone with some issues, not a competitor or insurance and definitely not someone I have hired to check up on us.
In regards to the response indicating he knew someone who did this to mess with their competition, I'm not sure how this really caused much havoc. Sometimes an extra hole in the schedule is not a bad thing.
To clarify, I was not trying to say that the post about the bilateral Hip Disartic was in the same class, it just jogged my memory that I had meant to ask about this, as it had recently happened here.
As an Orthotist who I worked with in my Residency used to say: everybody's got to have a hobby
He also said that a CPO is like a spork, adequate at either job, but exceptional at neither.
Nathan Keepers, CPO
Hi All,
The recent post about a bilateral Hip Disartic reminded me of a somewhat frequent occurence that I was wondering if others shared.
Once in a while we will get a call from someone with a request for an evaluation for a prosthesis of some sort. It is commonly for a device that would be somewhat uncommon, or uncommon circumstances for our facility. (one time, was from a man who claimed that his wife was a new bilateral transhumeral amputee and wanted an appointment to discuss her options, not an everyday thing in our office.) An appointment will be made, and then the people never show up. The number they give most times does not work or rings and rings, and then never hear anything from the people. The last one was from a guy who called and wanted to discuss options about a prosthesis he got somewhere else and wasn't happy about. I got on the line to talk with him, he said a few words then hung up. We actually got the number he dialed from off caller ID, called back, got a machine for some guy on the east coast, and we're in Oregon. This sort of thing happens maybe 2
or 3 times a year for us.
I was just curious if this happens to others or if we're just the lucky recipients of this kind of weird attention? I will summarize responses.
(Hopefully I'm not inviting more of this twisted behavior by posting here publicly)
Thanks,
Nathan Keepers, CPO
Barnhart P and O
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I've seen that happen in other places. My last two employers were convinced it was competitors doing it - or having friends do it for them.
Neither had any proof though, but I did know a practitioner once who admitted to doing it to a competitor because they were jerks.
please do not include my name in this. Thanks!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi, I usually do not respond to much on the list serve but felt the need here. We also get those calls at about the same frequency of 3 to 4 times a year. The last one I can remember we received was someone calling asking if we work with quadrilateral amputations as his wife recently became a quad amputee. In our case they rarely ever actually make an appointment but they do make one wonder what it is all about.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Never had that problem and hope that I don't. We do have people call about consults, but they are all legitimate
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nathan,
YEP! We have this same thing occur 3-4 times a year. When 1st going out on my own about 6 yrs ago, we got them more frequently. We assumed it was our competitors either checking us out or (messing) with us.
It could also be an insurance company checking into how you handle difficult or delicate situations. Especially when the person reports having a prosthesis from another company or being unhappy/dissatisfied...we try to handle each caller respectfully, honestly & never dis-barrage another company/practitioner even when the called does.
You never know in todays' world!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When I worked in Southern California we experienced this oddity two to three times per year and could actually predict from future calls they would be a no show. Interesting what motivates this group by taking the time to do this. It was always a multiple limb loss story.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Worth investigating. It will be interesting to see if you uncover some strange market research schemas. A large national organization I briefly worked for, (a HOG) I won't name, revealed a few of their odd marketing charades. For example they would enter a hospital and have themselves paged. Such antics seem a bit unethical considering the innumerable legitimate demands for the attention of practitioners in healthcare service!
More success to you in your good works.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am prosthetic tech. in xxxxx.. Sounds like a pre audit audit if you know what i mean. I have worked for a total of 5 facilities, central fab included and although the latter is excluded from scrutiny, have heard of such attention
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Its just the times...weird people out there!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You know how superstitious we all are, now if that pt with the bilat hip disartic doesn't show up for his appt with Sharon we know who to blame! ;-)
I experience a fair amount of no-shows with prosthetic evals, and phone numbers that go out of service from time to time, these are people who sometimes live on lesser means and with other challenges such as health problems, transportation, etc. As far as the caller ID from another state, my personal cell number is a XX area code even though I have not lived there in 5 years. These days with cell phones and free long distance, it just doesn't matter a lot of times. And if he was on a cell, maybe he dropped the call, or he needed to take another call real quick? I wouldn't worry about it, I don't think it's a prankster or someone maliciously toying with your schedule..... I guess you never know though! I'll be curious to see if this is a phenomenon others have experienced.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I thought the same thing when I saw that post, Nathan
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,
Is someone being paid to check how you all answer the phone, basic
office procedures?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I've been in business 15 yrs and hasn't happened to me.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You are not alone. I was rather happy that one did not show up. He went on and on in our phone conversation about how much his wife's amputation turned him on. He was also an amputee.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Citation
Barnhart Prosthetics, “odd patient appointments reply summary,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/231182.
