I just had the weirdest phone call. Maybe it’s not weird but it’s never happened to me before.
The phone rings:
Caller: This is Dr. Suzie Q’s office (not real name)! Is this Judy?
Me: Yes.
Caller: We were just calling to see if you need to see Dr. Q?
Me: Have I ever seen Dr. Q?
Caller: Hmm . . I don’t know. Let me see .. no, you’ve never been here.
Me: What is Dr. Q’s specialty?
Caller: (She tells me)
Me: No, I don’t believe I need to see her.
Caller: Well, how are you doing otherwise?
Me: Fine I suppose.
Caller: Ok. Thank you!.
She was very nice but are doctors now making cold calls for patients?
Has this ever happened to any of you?
Karen says
Now that is weird and a little bit creepy. I’d wonder if there is a doctor by that name and how they got mine. Call me paranoid but I think I’d do some followup.
Judy Laquidara says
There is a doctor by that name. I even looked up the number that showed up on my phone and it is legit.
PattiLynn says
No, that’s a new one for me. Did the caller give the location of the Dr’s office? I think I’d do a little investigating to see if the Dr. is “real”… or someone after your info for a scam of some sort. Weird indeed!
Judy Laquidara says
I know the doctor’s name. She’s been here for maybe as long as we have. There’s no question is it was really her office – just weird that they called me to and I had never been there before.
Sara Fridley says
That is very strange – and yes, just a little creepy!!
Rebecca in SoCal says
Maybe they are “cold-calling.” After all, people aren’t going to doctors as much. 😉
Judy Laquidara says
I think that’s it!
Teri says
That’s weird and kind of creepy. It hasn’t happened to me before (yet).
Sharon says
I would call the doctors office and make sure they did call you. And ask why.
Judy Laquidara says
I did call back and they had but I didn’t ask why. I think they’re just looking for business while things are extremely slow.
Dot says
Is it possible that one of your other doctors sent that doctor a referral, but accidentally sent your name and phone number instead of some other patient in their records? With every thing computerized these days, it would be easy to select the wrong name in an on-screen list.
Judy Laquidara says
No, I don’t think so because she didn’t say anything like “We had a referral from Dr. Joe”. Since I was questioning if I had seen them before, I would think she would have told me they had a referral.
Vicky in Bama says
I had something similar happen to a friend of mine in Ohio, Several Drs use the same service to answer their phones. I am thinking they may be somehow accessing patient lists to drum up business? I guess anything is possible. I wouldn’t really like for anyone to be accessing anything about me except my own Drs.
Judy Laquidara says
I’m sure that’s what it is here. We have the hospital and almost all the doctors are part of that network. I can go to the walk in clinic for a sore throat and he has access to all my doctor’s visits/diagnosis from any other doctor I’ve seen in the network.
Tee says
My doctor’s office called and asked me if I wanted to move my annual physical up, which is normally due in mid-August. I think they are hurting for patients, but it is way weird to cold call people!
Judy Laquidara says
I think that’s it. The doctors are back to work and the people aren’t quite ready to be back to doing 100% of the things we were doing.
Linda in NE says
You should never say the word “yes” when someone on the phone asks if it’s you or if you can hear them. Use a different phrase. Scammers who get you to say “yes” can be recording you & can sign you up for anything. Keep an eye on your accounts.
Judy Laquidara says
I’m not unaware of scammers but I called the office and asked if they had just called me and they had.
Katie says
I have heard of this and trained myself to say ” correct” .
Judy Laquidara says
Great idea. I need to train myself to do the same.
Nelle Coursey says
This has never happened to me! I think maybe someone was phishing! I thought it was against the law for doctors to openly solicit patients. I know it is against the law for lawyers to “ambulance chase”.
Denise Ramsay Porter says
Here we have the opposite problem. No doctors that are taking new patients! So, it makes it difficult. In an emergency you can go directly to the hospital or go to the walk in clinic. But I’d like to find a family doctor…. mine died of cancer within the last year.