Developing an ongoing relationship with your doctor is invaluable, especially during your recovery from an accident. However, finding a family physician has become increasingly difficult for Albertans in recent years, and doctors accepting new patient are almost unheard of. Not having a regular doctor is the norm, and this has led meany people to seek primary care from Medicentres and walk-in clinics.
Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident (MVA), seeking medical attention as soon as possible after the collision is vital. Reporting your injuries to a doctor will establish a baseline for your symptoms as they develop. It also shows that you are serious about treating your injuries. Documenting your ongoing symptoms throughout your recovery is essential, even if things remain the same over time. Seeing the doctor regularly and following up with their recommendations is necessary, as well as keeping up with your other treatments, like physiotherapy or chiropractic. However, if you don’t have a regular physician, you may find this challenging.
MVA Claim: Multiple Doctors
While ideally you would want to develop an ongoing relationship with the same physician over time, this may not always be possible. Visiting walk-in clinics and seeing an available doctor is perfectly acceptable, and it is certainly preferable to not seeing the doctor at all. Try to return to the same walk-in clinic throughout your recovery, if possible. That way, regardless of the doctor you happen to see on any given day, they can refer to your chart from your past visits, and any reports that may be on file.
MVA Claim: Multiple Clinics
If you end up visiting more than one clinic or doctor’s offices, note the name and where it is located, if not the individual doctor you see. This ensures that none of your medical records concerning your injuries are missed. When seeing a doctor for the first time, review all your injuries with them, as well as how the accident happened, and when it occurred. Discuss anything that is different and link your injuries back to the accident, as well as your current symptoms, how they are impacting you, and what has or has not improved. Even if you are visiting the doctor for an unrelated health matter, provide a brief update on your injuries and mention any symptoms that are bothering you at the time. These ongoing complaints show that you are still suffering from your injuries, which remain unresolved.
Feel free to share what treatments you’ve tried, what worked, and what didn’t. This helps them tailor their recommendations. If you had any injuries before the accident which got worse, clarify whether there were any symptoms present before the accident, and if so, how the accident impacted them. Similarly, if an old injury had long been resolved, but was reactivated by the accident, describe how it is now in comparison to before. Be clear about any referrals you are seeking and why, whether it is for psychological counselling, or a specialist. Discuss your symptoms freely and come prepared with a plan in mind.
MVA Claim: Negative Doctor Experience
If you have a negative experience with a certain doctor, or you feel they didn’t address your concerns, don’t give up and leave it at that. Remember that recovery is a long-term process. Some doctors may be more solution focused on what can be done short term, which may be due to the volume of patients they see. Next time you can ask to see a different doctor, but if not, continue to advocate for yourself. Be respectful and let them know that your original concerns haven’t gone away with time, and your symptoms persist.
If you enjoy seeing a particular doctor, ask if you can schedule your next appointment with them in advance, if possible. You can also indicate that you would prefer to see them the next time you go, and whether they practice out of any other locations. Familiarize yourself with that clinic’s booking policies, and whether they take any appointments for returning patients, or if it is strictly on a first come, first served basis.
Even if you do not have a family doctor, you can see a physician at a walk-in clinic about your injuries. Contact the personal injury lawyers at Moustarah & Company if you have been in an accident and have questions about your recovery. Moustarah & Company is centrally located in downtown Edmonton, and accepts personal injury claims from all over Alberta.