Should your Doctor be able to force you to "x" number of appointments?

[csziggy]

13. I'm ambivalent about this

I go through periods when I feel good and haven't had a recent injury and just don't want to see my doctor. But I think he can treat my problems better if he has seen me on a regular basis.

I know my veterinarian really likes that I have her come on a regular schedule to vaccinate and worm my horses. That way if they are sick or get an injury she is familiar with the animals and can diagnosis illnesses or get a better read on how badly injured they are. She also gives preference on emergencies to customers who use her for routine services, so my horses get treated faster when there is a real problem. And she knows that if I call about a colic, it is not because the horse was no wormed regularly so she can immediately rule out that as a cause.

I think human doctors are beginning to pick up how important this is for preventative care. Since this is finally beginning to be a priority in human medicine, that could be part of it. Also, more people are on more drugs for preventative care and many of those need routine monitoring.

So I don't object too much about seeing my GP for routine visits, though every three months seems excessive. But I don't see why I need to go see my dermatologist every six months when I have no ongoing skin problems he needs to treat - and have to pay a bunch for each visit that forces me to wait over an hour to be seen for five minutes.