evets

Not to high jack a previous thread but any real reason to register with a doctor in Canada, well GTA.

I have spent the last 7 years in Oz and never once registered and never found any issues with getting access to healthcare. I could phone up any Doctors surgery that I wanted, get full access to the Doctor, any prescriptions or any recommendations for further treatment.

I do remember living in the UK, it was kind of a must.

Am I missing something, or does registering give you special treatment or special access.

Piff Poff

When we got here a new Walk In opened and was taking (registered) patients, we tried to register and was told we didn't need to do anything extra. We have been really happy with the walk in, getting treatment as and when required, including an emergency operation, an elective operation and a operation (each) for health reasons. The only things that are tricky to get are yearly medical exams as they book up really fast.

(In Red Deer)

Aviator

Walk in hours in some areas are more obscure. Wait times, when we last used a walk in, wait was 2 hours. Treatment did not turn out to be the best.

Registering and making an appointment, you see the same doc, they know your history, wait less time, regular daytime hours.

evets

OK ta for the responses. So far, my walk in not been an issue for wait times but makes sense the your response.

The yearly medical exam was not aware of, at least at the time of posting then my friend mentioned it.

She also mentioned paying for medical costs if the doctor prescribed them, if not registered.

BristolUK

That's what I like to think.
I don't know if this is an individual thing but the three GPs I had in the UK, I always had the impression they knew me. Perhaps they simply previewed my file 5 minutes before calling me.

My wife had so many issues and saw the doc here so regularly, he was probably sick of the sight of her. But now it's just me I really don't get any impression of continuity. "what can I do for you?"..."you called me"

At my doc's office, the receptionist puts you in a room and he comes in later (45 mins later this morning ) so, of course, if he removed my file from the holder on the door before entering and looked at his last note he could breeze in and straight away ask me a relevant question and I'd think he was right on the ball.

But, yes, a regular doc will have previous records available whereas using different walk-ins won't.

With more than one doc you might experience problems with drugs interactions, although a good pharmacist might pick up on that.

Verdant

Coming from a slightly different perspective (as potential employees) we found many of the walk-in clinics to be far more profit orientated than the more traditional type of family practice (to the point that made us uncomfortable). They seem to be run much more with that in mind than necessarily providing decent longitudinal care. There are some clinics that refuse to do hospital cover in areas that require it causing additional strain on the service of 'dr of the day', which is picked up by the traditional family practice pods. There are also questions about the long-term impact that some of these clinics might have on the more traditional type of practice due to patients presenting with different types of conditions i.e. minor vs complicated conditions. However as a patient you may not necessarily care about that, especially if you can't get a GP at one of the family practices.

evets

Good points, but still question the system as not registered for a doctor in the last 7 years. Then again not really been that sick in which I would care for my doctor to know my medical history.

And then what you have said, they probably would not as only reading a file prior.

Does registering with a doctor in Canada, allow you access to certain prescriptions otherwise that would not be prescribed.

evets

Good points, and things I have rarely thought about with my last 7 years in Australia and never considered that. Private healthcare does actually mean that.

Aviator

https://globalnews.ca/news/3969641/b...hout-province/

BristolUK

I don't see that there's any distinction but it's likely down to an individual doc.
We had to follow a 'work around' involving ER, a compliant doc that ER would know and then a referral to a Paediatrician to get an ongoing prescription for my stepson's Ritalin which he'd been on for years prior to a move Quebec to NB.

My wife also needed a renewal prescription for Nexium following the move and hers was done only by paying the walk-in to transfer her previous records.

scrubbedexpat091

Some walk in clinics are also general practices, find one that is, and when using the walk in, try and see the same doctor each time, it may eventually lead to being accepted as a patient.

My wife's current doctor she found through walk in at the practice, after about 6 visits, the doctor accepted her as a patient.

Same way we found a doctor in Chilliwack, using a walk in attached to a regular practice.

A 100% walk in only clinic may not work however.

printer

I think the basics are that if you have a complicated medical history then having a "family" doctor who knows you is a benefit against some doc that has never seen you before.
However i get the point that not all "family" doctors know their patients like maybe they should.
Our doctor works 4 days a week and usually has long wait times for appointments. I went to a walk in with bad on going cough they checked me over and of course sent me for chest x ray and said follow up with GP, so a week later i am in my doctors office and he breezes in and says hi. He seemed to have no idea why i was there and when i mentioned the x ray he hadn't even seen it and had no idea what the result was!
After another 10 minute wait he finds it and reassures me all is ok.

scilly

In BC, it is now the duty of the pharmacist to catch all drug interactions AND multiple prescriptions for the same drug issued by different doctors ...... all possible by having the computerised and centralised programmes.


I don't know if any other provinces have also put the onus on pharmacists.

R I C H

In areas where family doctors are over-subscribed, the knock on effect is walk in clinics become bottlenecks. In Kamloops it's not unusual to see long line ups outside walk-ins from 7.30am, and they close the door to patients for the day by 9am. When you're sick, waiting on the pavement to get an appointment doesn't appear a great option to me.

evets

Thanks for all the feedback. Appreciated.

Kinda makes sense to sign up for a Doctor then in Canada, even if not 100% necessary(IMO) but can avoid some pitfalls.