Do you cancel specialist appointments if you're ill?

[AimeeM]

DD16 has a check-up (and to go over some test results) with her cardiologist tomorrow. However, she is also sick, and we know it's contagious (because our kids, and us, have been going down with it like dominos). I'm inclined to cancel the appointment.

Our middle son (DS9) sees several specialists, including cardiology, and I've always cancelled if he's ill -- because the risk seems much greater when we're talking about even possibly spreading illness to kiddos who already have serious health problems. I know his pulmonology specialists prefer we cancel if we're ill, unless we need the pulmonary MD specifically because of the illness. We've been in the position of having a child (DS9, when he was much younger and pre/post op) at greater risk of falling seriously ill with illnesses the general population considers relatively minor, so I know my anxiety over this decision may just be me reliving the anxiety of those days, and may not be well placed. 

The only reason I'm even considering taking DD16 to her appointment is because of the test results. I'll end up deciding by morning, I know. The office will not give me a straight answer regarding this, btw -- they will just say that it's up to me. 

The point of the post, though, is mainly curiosity. Do you cancel specialist appointments if you're ill with something contagious and unrelated (to the specialist)?

[Jean in Newcastle]

No. I wear a mask when I’m ill and have to see a doctor. 

[Junie]

I would cancel. 

[AimeeM]

DD16 would definitely wear a mask -- as would DS9. However, The Marvelous Flying Marco (DS5) is terrified of them. All of the kids would be with me tomorrow -- and all are either currently ill or just getting over it. 

[Tap]

I would cancel.  If the results need immediate attention,  I would ask for the doctor to just call me instead.  

[Catwoman]

30 minutes ago, Tap said:

I would cancel.  If the results need immediate attention,  I would ask for the doctor to just call me instead.  

 

I agree. I would call for the results and reschedule the appointment for when everyone is well again.

I hope you all feel better very soon!

[Tanaqui]

It depends on the specific situation, but I would generally cancel - especially in the situation you describe. You can get those results in a week.

Quote

The office will not give me a straight answer regarding this, btw -- they will just say that it's up to me. 

 

Translation into straight answer terms: "We would prefer you cancel."

If they really thought it was urgent to come in they'd say something like "Well, it's up to you, of course, but this appointment is really important...."

[Jean in Newcastle]

Will you still be billed if you cancel now?  A lot of doctors have 24 hour cancellation policies. They aren’t cheap and insurance won’t pay. 

[Junie]

19 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Will you still be billed if you cancel now?  A lot of doctors have 24 hour cancellation policies. They aren’t cheap and insurance won’t pay. 

I have never had a problem with this if I was cancelling an appointment because of illness.  Especially with the pediatric appointments they gladly cancel without penalty.

[TechWife]

11 hours ago, AimeeM said:

DD16 would definitely wear a mask -- as would DS9. However, The Marvelous Flying Marco (DS5) is terrified of them. All of the kids would be with me tomorrow -- and all are either currently ill or just getting over it. 

 

In this case, I would call and reschedule. Ask if they can call you with test results if the rescheduled appointment is too far out for your liking. If it were just you and dd, I'd say go and wear a mask, but with all of the kids involved and one not able to wear a mask, I'd not go. The risk to the other patients it too great.

[Seeking Squirrels]

It would depend for me on what specialist, what it was for, and how long it would take to get back in. For DD9's therapies, they ask you to cancel if you are sick because a lot of their kids coming through have various issues that may compromise their immune system and we're dealing with equipment and toys and a lot of touching. 

But if it was an office visit with a specialist that was for something important, that can often take weeks or even months to get an appointment. I would be more likely to wear a mask and go. 

 

[Lanny]

IMO if someone has a Contagious illness they MUST cancel and reschedule any appointments they ahve.

[AimeeM]

We cancelled. While they did state they prefer 24 hours notice (and I stated that I did as well -- this particular virus seems to be running through our house for a second time), they didn't give me a hard time about rescheduling. They were able to get her back in a couple weeks from now. If the results show anything of serious importance, this particular doctor has done phone conferences with us before (for our other kiddo), so I assume he would do the same here. I may be on the hook for a cancelling fee, but I'm okay with that.

Leaving the other kiddos with Dad would have been a good option -- but he's down with this, too (home from the office and sick, which rarely happens), and it's not a great option to leave the Flying Marco with anyone who isn't able to be on their toes (and quickly).

 

[Lady Florida.]

I see you already canceled but what I usually do is call the office and ask them if they prefer I cancel.Some offices don't want people to come in when they're sick, others just ask that you take precautions. Of course, that's if I'm well enough to go but think I might be contagious. If I feel too sick I just cancel.

[Katy]

For specialists that see a lot of extremely medically fragile kiddos (like follow ups with neonatology or cardiac) we reschedule for anything but very minor sniffles. There's potentially lives at stake.

[Xahm]

This reminds me of when I was sent by the ped to the children's hospital when my daughter was sick and needed an x ray to diagnose pneumonia. There were signs everywhere saying not to come in if you were sick. It made me feel horrible, but the whole reason we were there was that she was sick. 

[Katy]

1 hour ago, xahm said:

This reminds me of when I was sent by the ped to the children's hospital when my daughter was sick and needed an x ray to diagnose pneumonia. There were signs everywhere saying not to come in if you were sick. It made me feel horrible, but the whole reason we were there was that she was sick. 

 

They didn't mean the children there for diagnosis and treatment.  They meant visitors with the Flu.

[J-rap]

We would cancel, unless of course it was an emergency.

I've never been charged for cancelling when ill.

[ktgrok]

15 hours ago, Arctic Mama said:

See those are exactly the people I don’t reschedule with, because usually it is important we be seen quickly and the waits are generally months unless we get hospitalized and can be seen on rounds.  They’ve basically told us that unless we have active fevers and vomiting that can’t be managed he should come on in.  

 

But EI and private therapy tell us to cancel with any illness.  Neuro and GI, not so much.  But like I said, I refuse to let my kids be in the waiting room and sick.  That’s where it gets spread.  If it’s just the baby he’s in his stroller and not goobing on random surfaces.

I think she is already an ongoing patient, w which means appointments are not so far out or hard to get, usually. If this was the first appointment with a new specialist, yeah, I'd go if at all possible. But if it was an ongoing thing and they could reschedule it for not far out, I'd cancel. 

[AimeeM]

On 5/17/2018 at 3:47 PM, Arctic Mama said:

See those are exactly the people I don’t reschedule with, because usually it is important we be seen quickly and the waits are generally months unless we get hospitalized and can be seen on rounds.  They’ve basically told us that unless we have active fevers and vomiting that can’t be managed he should come on in.  

 

But EI and private therapy tell us to cancel with any illness.  Neuro and GI, not so much.  But like I said, I refuse to let my kids be in the waiting room and sick.  That’s where it gets spread.  If it’s just the baby he’s in his stroller and not goobing on random surfaces.

 

If it were months to reschedule an appointment for us, or the specialist needed to be seen because of the illness, I may have been inclined to do things differently ? Here, if you're an established patient already, it is more typically days or a couple weeks to be rescheduled with most specialists (there are exceptions, like genetics).