Just Sign the Consent Form. heh heh

At the doctor’s office waiting room two Latinos came in and approached the receptionist. They spoke Spanish to her. She had no idea what they were talking about. She kept asking questions but the only thing she could comprehend is the youngest man had been there before. The young man could not convey his name or his birthday. She had no way of looking up his records without knowing the basics.

“How is she going to get out of this dilemma?” I thought.

Then she made a telephone call. She explained to the person on the other end that a Spanish speaking man was standing there and she had no idea what he was saying. After listening to the other end she fumbled around with her phones and handed the Latino a phone, but not without accidentally punching the wrong button and getting a very loud unexpected radio station.

After the Latino man had a phone to his ear she picked up a phone and told the person on the other end that they were both on the line. It was a conference call! Hot dog! The young man listened and made comments and probably said his name and his birthdate, which the receptionist then quickly found his record. They hung up the phones.

She now knew what doctor he saw last and made him an appointment for the next day and gave him an appointment card.

I wondered if Wellstar –Kennestone had a interpreter on the payroll now, ready to translate when ever they are called. I can see where such a job would be needed, unless they contract it out to a translator contractor and he/she bills per call.

Then I wonder if the receptionist should warn the doctor for tomorrow that he has a non-English speaking Latino visiting him? I’m sure they have had that same scenario before, so they will know what to do. They don’t need my suggestions.

Then, about 40 or 45 minutes later in the inner offices I overheard an admitting specialist making arrangements with a man to have a scheduled procedure done. She was trying to get him to sign a consent form.

The man said, “It says here that anybody who wants to can look at my private medical records, even a bill collector off the street.” We were waiting outside the door holding a consent form too. I looked down at the form to see what he was referring to. It does say something about this authorizes authorized specialists of your insurance to review your form and others that may need the information.

I wondered if the man was paranoid.

He went on. He said, “According to this, they can take my arm or leg, pickle it, dissect it, or do whatever they want to with it and call it “research’.”

The specialist said , “That is only if you should lose your limb during the procedure, which is not likely during your colonoscopy.”

I read that paragraph. Yep, it does say that discarded limbs of no use can be given to institutions for research.

The man is paranoid.