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Away from it all? How doctors take it along or leave it behind

Physicians must decide to take it or leave it -- stay in touch with your practice while on vacation or kiss it goodbye for a while.

By Damon Adams, amednews staff. Dec. 9, 2002.

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Some physicians pack up the practice and take it along. Others just pack and go.

Even deciding to take a vacation is no day at the beach. The physician-patient relationship sets you apart from workers who just straighten their desks, set their voice mail and hit the road. Doctors face a myriad of decisions, not the least of which is whether to monitor patients from a distance or turn the job over to someone else.

Some physicians cope best by putting everything in place then letting go. Others prefer to stay in touch, doing bits of work through cell phones and laptops.

But it's not always a question of preference. Solo physicians may not have any choice but to keep in touch. Lots of factors figure into the decision on what to do with your practice responsibilities.

Aimee Hachigian-Gould, MD, leaves for vacation with cell phone in hand. It's the orthopedic surgeon's lifeline to her solo practice in Great Falls, Mont.

Dr. Hachigian-Gould usually checks in daily with her office assistant. That's not always easy in the great outdoors, where cell-phone communication can still be a bit iffy.

"We have to drive a bit from the fishing cabin so we're high enough to be where the calls can get to you," said Dr. Hachigian-Gould.

But she said it's worth the extra effort to keep things running smoothly while she's away. Cell phones and other advances in technology are a boon for doctors who choose to monitor their patients' conditions from a distance. [...]