Patient
I called the office and made an appointment. Upon arriving at the office and paying a $40 co-pay, I was informed that the test would not be performed that day, but instead a perfunctory visit to basically reiterate what information was already on the referral. After confirming information they already had in their possession, I was allowed to make another appointment for the test. At the end of the test, I asked that normal results be emailed or sent by letter to me or Park Avenue Medical Associates, which is the practice many agencies use to report normal results, such as mammograms, blood work up, etc. I was told that I needed to return and pay another co-op and take off more time for work to review the results in person. I returned and paid co-pay for the 3rd time to meet with the physician. This visit lasted about 10 minutes during which the physician assured that the results indicated that "everything is fine". I asked why I had to take time off from work, pay another $40 co-pay (not to mention billing my insurance company) to learn something that could easily been communicated in a more efficient and timely manner. After the physician told me they would try and accommodate my schedule better, I felt he was missing the point, which is requiring patients to make unnecessary and costly appointments. The initial interview could easily have been conducted just prior to the test and then normal results communicated more timely and efficient. This entire process could easily have been managed with one visit.