So People what seems to be our problem today

Seems the next big “craze” changing the practice of medicine is the shared medical appointment.
A physician sees a group of people with diverse medical problems and spends more or less of 90 minutes with a group while charging each person for a “regular” appointment.

The Cincinnati Enquirer today examines the increasingly common practice of shared medical appointments, noting that the format can be efficient and profitable for physicians, because they can see more patients in less time and bill insurers the amount for a traditional appointment. While shared appointments—which patients join by choice—have been used in mental health treatment for decades, the model is relatively new for patients with disparate medical concerns. Under the model, a physician may see a dozen or more patients in a 90-minute appointment, consulting with each individual amid the group and privately in exam rooms as needed. Patients—who pay a traditional office visit copayment for a group appointment—must sign a form agreeing to keep information about other patients’ conditions private.

Boy, this is great. While I talk about the difficulty of “my stream” and the other patients silently giggle into the back of their hands, the doc counts his stable and growing income “stream” due to this new arrangement.

This is like the priest being short on time so everyone stands up and yells out their sins and a group penance is given. But what if someone doesn’t do his/her part of the penance, is the whole group then condemned? What if the doc gives the wrong advice to Sally because he forgot it was Dan who initially reported the problem.
What next, Group surgery? Group exams (we did some of that in college) and were raided by the vice squad.

No thanks, I think I will keep my symptoms to myself or find an old time doc who wants to wade through a typical history and physical and come forth with a good treatment plan or I will just try to treat myself.
Maybe I will go back into the practice of medicine and begin Mega-Group visits with 20% off for groups greater than 30.

I find it unbelievable that Americans won’t carpool but they will sign up for group medical visits.

Maybe a good group electroshock treatment would get us all back on the better path.

Everyone grab that live wire and hold on while I get the switch.