5 Mistakes to Avoid When Scheduling an Orthopedic Appointment
If you’re dealing with an injury, such as a torn labrum, torn rotator cuff, or anything along those lines, then you should probably figure out a time to go see an orthopedist. They can talk with you about your options. Together, you should hopefully be able to figure out a path forward that will get you healthy again.
You can always check out an orthopedic walk-in clinic, or else you can arrange an appointment with an orthopedist at a convenient time for you. There are some mistakes you might make when scheduling an appointment, though, so let’s talk about them right now.
Make Sure Not to Get an Appointment with a Doctor Who’s Out-of-Network
If you have insurance, then there are usually doctors who are in your network and ones who are not. The better your insurance is, the more likely you will have most doctors in-network.
If you book an appointment with an orthopedist who is not in your network, then you’re going to have to pay them out-of-pocket. That can get expensive quickly.
Don’t Overemphasize How Much Pain You’re In
When you go to see an orthopedist, they will probably ask you how much pain you are in. Usually, they use a scale of 1-10.
Try to be as honest with your assessment as you can. If you’re in pain, but you say you’re experiencing a 10 out of 10, they will send you to the emergency room.
If you’re in extreme pain, you should say so, but you should also not overemphasize what you’re feeling. If you do, then the orthopedist will likely assume this is an emergency situation and respond accordingly.
Don’t Make an Assumption About How Long the Appointment Will Take
You should also make sure not to schedule anything else for that day right after the orthopedist appointment. There is no way to know whether your appointment will start on time. Maybe the doctor will be running behind that day.
You also don’t know how long it will take for you to explain to the doctor what is going on with you or how long they will need to talk to you after you’ve laid out the details of your situation. If you’re going to pick your kids up from school or something similar after the appointment, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time.
Don’t Wait Till You’re in Agony
You should not wait to make an appointment with an orthopedist until you’re in very serious pain. If possible, you should start the process toward healing by reaching out if you have an orthopedic issue before it reaches critical levels of severity.
Make Sure You Have All of Your Relevant Insurance Information
Make sure to bring your insurance card with you. You will certainly want to have it on hand when you visit an orthopedist for the first time. However, it also makes sense to have it with you for subsequent appointments just in case you need the information on it for anything.
