Doctor house calls: Questions, issues, tips, and experiences...

Does anyone know if they’ve actually scrapped home visits from primary care doctors?

A nurse was trying to convince me yesterday that under the new regulations, doctors aren't required to do house calls anymore—that you're supposed to just call emergency services instead. Apparently, if someone is immobilized and needs an injection for something like rheumatism or a nerve block—assuming the diagnosis is already established, of course, since they shouldn't need to go hunting for warm water—they're basically out of luck.
I suspect she might be blowing smoke, but honestly, I can't exactly carry my grandfather on my back all the way to the clinic.🤷

Nancy Diaz49 said:Does anyone know if they actually canceled house calls from primary care doctors?

A nurse was trying to convince me yesterday that under the new laws, doctors don't have to do house calls anymore—that you're supposed to call 911 instead. Like, say if someone’s joints lock up and they need an injection or a block—if the diagnosis is already known, they shouldn't have to invent some excuse about needing warm water just to get a visit.
I think she was totally pulling my leg, but newsflash: I can't exactly carry my grandad on my back to the clinic!🤷

They aren't "canceled," please. 🙄
The nurse was just trying to dump the responsibility onto Emergency Services... which handles emergencies, and a stiff joint isn't an emergency.
Next time, talk to the doctor directly—they can decide whether to send it to the ER, or if it's just administering therapy at home, they can send a visiting nurse or home health aide, or even just go out themselves. ☕

Donna Clark77 said:"Abolished" is hardly the word. 🙄
My sister tried to offload a home visit onto Emergency Services... which handles emergencies, not stiffness.
Next time, consult the doctor—they have the discretion to refer a case to the ER, or if it's just administering therapy at home, they can assign it to a visiting nurse or home care service, or even conduct the visit themselves. ☕

A physician at the Democratic Party clinic is obligated to perform home visits if there is an indication.
A nurse does not decide whether a doctor conducts a home visit; if she did, she would be exceeding her authority. In this instance, it appears she refused the patient under a doctor's orders simply to protect her own workload. A formal complaint regarding the failure of both the nurse and doctor to perform their duties can be filed with the medical board and the Federal Reserve; additionally, one may contact Medicare or file a grievance with the Department of Justice.
A doctor cannot unilaterally delegate their responsibilities to someone else, regardless of how frequently this occurs within the Democratic Party. His clinical hours are intentionally shorter than eight hours specifically to allow for continuing education and home visits; after 10 PM, calls are handled by the Department of Defense.

First off, please let me know if there’s already a thread about something like this. I'm too frustrated and angry to bother searching anymore. Let's just get to it.
My stepfather's father has been in declining health for a year and a half, and things just took a turn for the worse. (Just so you understand how serious this is, a lady from the nursing home told us yesterday to prepare for the worst.) My stepfather called his primary care physician, Sandra Balog, who works at the community health center in a small town, USA (the patient is actually in a rural area, about 10-15 minutes away). He asked if she could perform a house call, and she rudely snapped that he shouldn't bother and should just find a new doctor if he isn't happy. He tried to explain the situation politely—he even offered to pick her up in his car—but she just stayed blunt and hung up on him.

The website for the local health clinic clearly states:
Primary/Family Medicine Office of Sandra Balog, M.D.,
nurse Slava Hruban.
tel: 555-0199, email: general.office@localhealthclinic.org,
hours: even dates: afternoon (1:00 PM-7:30 PM, house calls 7:30 PM-8:30 PM), odd dates: morning (7:00 AM-1:30 PM, house calls 1:30 PM-2:30 PM), working Saturday: 4th of the month (7:00 AM-2:30 PM).

Here’s what I want to know. I get it—she might be slammed at the office, maybe she's dealing with personal stress, and there are specific hours set for house calls on the official site. But based on that call, she was completely unprofessional, gave zero explanation or guidance, and just slammed the phone down. Is she legally allowed to:
a) refuse a visit to a man who is essentially on his deathbed?
b) arrogantly bark "find a new doctor" if you aren't satisfied?
c) be rude when the caller hasn't given her any reason to be?
d) hang up on someone calling in a panic about their father without providing any medical guidance?

Also, does anyone know which institution I should contact to file a formal complaint?

After talking to her, we called emergency services. They understood the doctor's stance immediately, grasped the gravity of the situation, and did their job perfectly.
So, we have a doctor refusing to provide referrals, refusing house calls, acting entitled, and hanging up on people. From what I hear, this isn't her first time. 🙂🙂🙂

Just pick up the white phone and make a formal complaint http://najdoktor.com/novi-broj-bijel...-zdravlja/a126
I’d suggest emailing a formal grievance to the Ministry of Defense, Medicare, and the director of the local health clinic (make sure to CC the doctor as well)

There’s a specific procedure for this, including the timeline for when everyone needs to weigh in:

Basically, you start by filing your complaint directly with the director of the local health clinic.

Do family doctors actually do home visits anymore, or is that just a thing of the past? My sister says her doctor won't do them.

Maria Fowler15 said:Do family doctors actually do house calls anymore, or is that just a thing of the past? My sister says they don't do them.

In my opinion, they really ought to. Your best bet is probably reaching out to the medical board at your local Medicare office; just bring along all your medical records and explain the circumstances, and they should be able to point you in the right direction.

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I recently consulted with a family practitioner regarding current protocols, and they noted that field visits are primarily handled by visiting nurses or EMT teams. While house calls by physicians haven't been officially abolished, they have been scaled back to an absolute minimum in major metropolitan areas like New York City.

You really ought to go, but most people will just tell you to wait until his shift ends before calling 911 or some other similar excuse

People should probably head in, but most folks usually just wait until business hours wrap up—then they try to pull some stunt by calling 911 or similar emergency lines instead. 😒

Grace Davis77 said:I was chatting with a family doctor recently, and they mentioned that when it comes to house calls, it’s primarily the visiting nurses (or maybe EMS) who head out into the field. While doctors haven't technically stopped doing home visits altogether, they've been scaled back to an absolute bare minimum in places like Chicago.

I don't have a massive amount of personal experience dealing with family doctors coming to my house, but I've had plenty of visits from visiting nurses and I've spent more than enough time in the ER. From what I gather, those three roles actually handle very different niches. It’s pretty straightforward: if you're facing a true emergency, you call 911; if you're stuck in bed and can't physically make it to see your primary physician, that's when you need a doctor's house call; and if you just need a quick injection based on a specialist's orders, a visiting nurse is usually the one who handles that.

I’ve gotta say, I am feeling pretty positive about this whole situation. My primary care physician actually swung by my place on her own time to visit my daughter-in-law, who was just staying over from out of town for a bit. Then, while she was right there in my living room, the doctor went ahead and removed some stitches that weren't even part of her regular clinic's jurisdiction. It was just incredibly convenient.
It really makes you realize how true it is when people say: adhering to the Hippocratic Oath is such a noble, dignified way for a doctor to conduct themselves