Irritated......
 

I had been given a suggestion to contact the company involved in the Activ-L clinical trials. I had spoken with Michael Andrews in regards to this trial. After about a week going back and forth, they finally put me in contact with the office of a Dr. Giraldi in NY. I was told he is the closest to me for the trials.

I contact his office and speak to the person in charge. At her request, I fax over all of my documentation....Mri's, Ct scans, Discogram and a statement from my Doctor.

1st Phone call...The Doctor would love for you to come in for a consultation, but he does not take your insurance. I explain to her that this is not an insurance visit, this is for the trials. She has no idea what I am talking about and will call me back...

2nd Phone call... The Doctor wants you to come in for a consultation. I stop her and tell he I am requesting to involved in the Actic-L clinical Trials...Oh, she says....I'll call you back

3rd Phone call... AGAIN, the Doctor wants you to come in for a consult. I again explain to her why I am calling. She then tells me the Doctor will need to run test to make sure i am an ADR candidate. I told her I already faxed it all over and it has been determined that I am a candidate for a 1 level ADR. She tells me the Doctor will still need to preform the tests and it will have to be out of pocket since he does not take my insurance. I explained to her what I was told about everything being involved in the clinicals and she tellsme it doesn't work that way....Now I'm Pissed and go off. There is no way in hell I will let that Doctor touch me when the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. What a joke this health system is.

my experience with clinical trial consults
 

I was seen twice to get into clinical trials back with Prodisc 2 levels in '03 at UCSF and in Santa Monica. All I remember was that the appointments were considered consultations altho for the first I hadn't had the discogram done however for 2nd I had. Anyway, both appointments had to be approved by my WC insurance before I could be seen.

The first appt. (at UCSF) wanted to get the discogram to see if I even was a 2 level candidate and since the Nurse Case Manager was with me the discogram got approved that same day and was put on a rush schedule since I was out of town.

The 2nd appt. I already had the confirming discogram done that would have allowed me into the 2 level ADR trial and the other necessary tests plus having had seen the surgeon at UCSF and having initially had a letter from Dr.Bertagnoli's office re possible candidacy for 2 level ADR and so forth, however the appt. still fell under consultation and was then this office wanted a few of their xrays done as well ~ something to bill for I suppose.

Good luck. I did run into a lot of left hand not knowing what right hand was doing sort of thing depending on what office I would be dealing with. Some were way better organized than others re the trials it seemed when I was trying to get into them.

I'd like to say I'm shocked, but...

Incompetence is so ingrained in our society we've come to expect it. However, it's inexcusable in the medical community. We all have our own horror stories and some humerous ones but unless and until we demand otherwise, I'm afraid we're stuck with what we've got. This of course is coming from a self-righteous position!

Sorry to hear this. I think incompetence is everywhere but especially in paper-pushing jobs. Sorry you got caught in the cross-fire!