Hacker News Reader

Comment by vanviegen | Hacker News Reader

I can imagine quite a few scenarios in which I prefer for those companies to be able to reach me.

Isn't the usual case for physicians and dentists appointment reminders? (I don't understand why utility companies need to interrupt my day, so I ignore that.) I wouldn't mind them being able to actually reach me about urgent things via phone, but I keep a calendar like a grown adult and appointment reminders do nothing for me except interrupt my day.

Why? What situations do you need a doctor to use a synchronous, interrupting, unscheduled communication medium for, where the situation is not serious enough for you to already be in the hospital?

My doctors can communicate asynchronously through the MyChart app/website (the app is fairly terrible, I would rather them just use email, but oh well) where I can read and respond when it makes sense for me. Any test that they are running where the results could be bad is already asynchronous (or I am in the hospital) so delaying a few hours in reading it doesn't seem like a big deal even if it is something bad.

A loved one being treated in the ER? A concerning test result turning up, requiring me to come in soon? A spot for a treatment I've been queueing for becoming available last-minute?

Email can be unreliable and slow.

it's always bad news with those guys; no thanks

Might want to re-visit your day-to-day health routine if every time you're in contact with a doctor or hospital you're only getting bad news.

... why would my day-to-day involve calling a doctor or hospital if im healthy?

_they_ call _me_ with ideas on how to get me to pay them; when i go in, my vitals are strong

What I mean, is that normally, people go to the doctor and hospital for a whole host of reasons, and if the doctor never says "actually, that's nothing to worry about" or "the test was negative" then either maybe you're not going to the doctor enough, or your overall health is so bad you never get "good news" from the doctor when you go there.

But then I remembered that most people here are Americans, and you (if you're American, I'm assuming here) don't go to the hospital/doctor just because, as it costs so much, compared to the life I'm used to, where whenever there is a health worry, you go to the doctor/hospital and they say "don't worry, it's fine" most of the time.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com