An episode in always being connected

From the starting gun each day, there’s a never-ending stream of electrons flying between my secretary, assistant, and me – ongoing exchanges about test results, refill requests, patient calls, etc. If I’m away from the office, I answer them on my phone, but I always answer.

After hours my iPhone is the connection to the practice. Patient calls route to me when we’re closed. If my assistant is working late, I answer her questions as they come in.

Last week, one of my kids had to leave school due to illness, and the call (fortunately) came in when I had an empty hour in the schedule. So I went to get him.

While driving to his school, I suddenly realized I’d left the phone on my desk. It was a strange feeling. For the first time since opening my practice, I can’t remember being more than a few feet from my phone. A million thoughts raced through my head: What if an urgent call comes in? What if an ER needs to reach me? What if I have a wreck and can’t reach anyone? Should I go back for it?

After about 10 seconds, I continued on my way. I wasn’t on call for the hospital. My assistant, after 15 years of this, knows when to direct someone to the ER. If I have a wreck someone else will have a phone there. It was highly unlikely that anything would happen to require my immediate attention in 20 minutes. And nothing did. I received two e-mails while I was gone, both on routine issues.

I was never a phone person when I was younger. I didn’t get my first cell phone until the day I started in practice in 1998. I didn’t get a phone that could do e-mail until July of last year.

But once you’re acclimated, it’s amazing how hard it is not to have it around. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but it is what it is – a genie that isn’t going back in its bottle.

 Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz. E-mail him at [email protected].

From the starting gun each day, there’s a never-ending stream of electrons flying between my secretary, assistant, and me – ongoing exchanges about test results, refill requests, patient calls, etc. If I’m away from the office, I answer them on my phone, but I always answer.

After hours my iPhone is the connection to the practice. Patient calls route to me when we’re closed. If my assistant is working late, I answer her questions as they come in.

Last week, one of my kids had to leave school due to illness, and the call (fortunately) came in when I had an empty hour in the schedule. So I went to get him.

While driving to his school, I suddenly realized I’d left the phone on my desk. It was a strange feeling. For the first time since opening my practice, I can’t remember being more than a few feet from my phone. A million thoughts raced through my head: What if an urgent call comes in? What if an ER needs to reach me? What if I have a wreck and can’t reach anyone? Should I go back for it?

After about 10 seconds, I continued on my way. I wasn’t on call for the hospital. My assistant, after 15 years of this, knows when to direct someone to the ER. If I have a wreck someone else will have a phone there. It was highly unlikely that anything would happen to require my immediate attention in 20 minutes. And nothing did. I received two e-mails while I was gone, both on routine issues.

I was never a phone person when I was younger. I didn’t get my first cell phone until the day I started in practice in 1998. I didn’t get a phone that could do e-mail until July of last year.

But once you’re acclimated, it’s amazing how hard it is not to have it around. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but it is what it is – a genie that isn’t going back in its bottle.

 Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz. E-mail him at [email protected].

From the starting gun each day, there’s a never-ending stream of electrons flying between my secretary, assistant, and me – ongoing exchanges about test results, refill requests, patient calls, etc. If I’m away from the office, I answer them on my phone, but I always answer.

After hours my iPhone is the connection to the practice. Patient calls route to me when we’re closed. If my assistant is working late, I answer her questions as they come in.

Last week, one of my kids had to leave school due to illness, and the call (fortunately) came in when I had an empty hour in the schedule. So I went to get him.

While driving to his school, I suddenly realized I’d left the phone on my desk. It was a strange feeling. For the first time since opening my practice, I can’t remember being more than a few feet from my phone. A million thoughts raced through my head: What if an urgent call comes in? What if an ER needs to reach me? What if I have a wreck and can’t reach anyone? Should I go back for it?

After about 10 seconds, I continued on my way. I wasn’t on call for the hospital. My assistant, after 15 years of this, knows when to direct someone to the ER. If I have a wreck someone else will have a phone there. It was highly unlikely that anything would happen to require my immediate attention in 20 minutes. And nothing did. I received two e-mails while I was gone, both on routine issues.

I was never a phone person when I was younger. I didn’t get my first cell phone until the day I started in practice in 1998. I didn’t get a phone that could do e-mail until July of last year.

But once you’re acclimated, it’s amazing how hard it is not to have it around. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but it is what it is – a genie that isn’t going back in its bottle.

 Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz. E-mail him at [email protected].