FAQ on the initial visit with Dr. Chen
Q. What are Dr. Chen's current office hours?
A. Dr. Chen sees patients on Wednesdays and
Thursday all day. Receptionist hours for appointment scheduling, are
typically Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, with a lunch break from
noon to 1pm.
Q. What will be covered in my initial visit
with Dr. Chen?
A. Dr. Chen will first obtain a detailed history
of each patient's specific concerns, perform a limited physicial exam
(Dr. Chen does NOT perform pelvic exams in the office), review all
previous pertinent test results brought in by the patient, and then
formulate a treatment plan. The plan may include further testing for
those whose problems are diagnostically unclear, before initiation of
therapy. Medications may be initiated at the first visit if a thorough
work-up has already been performed, and Dr. Chen feels it is
appropriate in timing. Patients specifically wanting to begin the Wiley
protocol will usually be given a prescription at the first visit for
the protocol, unless there are contraindications apparent after
evaluation by Dr. Chen.
Q. Can I do my consultation with Dr. Chen by
phone instead of in-person?
A. All new patient visits need to be in person, as
medical-legally, Dr. Chen needs to perform a good faith exam. Dr. Chen
is only licensed to practice medicine in the state of California at
this time, so all out-of-state patients will need to travel to Dr.
Chen's office for the initial consultation. Follow-up appointments may
be done via telephone for patients with a long commute (please contact
the office to schedule such an appointment), provided these patients
are seen in-person at Dr. Chen's office at least once per year and/or
can provide documentation of regular follow-up exams with their primary
care physicians/gynecologists if the last visit with Dr. Chen has been
more than a year. Payment needs to be received by Dr. Chen's office
before such phone consultations may take place.
Q. How often do I need to follow-up with Dr.
Chen?
A. This will vary depending on your treatment
plan. Most follow-up appointments take place 3-6 months after the
initial visit, in order to properly monitor progress and address any
potential untoward effects. Dr. Chen requires that patients are seen at
the very least every 6-12 months, if she is to continue approving
prescription refills. Patients who are initiating the Wiley protocol
will require bloodwork during the 3rd month of using the protocol,
followed by another visit with Dr. Chen shortly thereafter, in order to
review adjustments in the protocol which usually have to be made. Once
the protocol has been adjusted to the point that it is working well for
the patient, then follow-up lab testing with subsequent office visits
are usually every 6 months.
Q. How will I know the results of my test?
A. Once Dr. Chen has reviewed a patient's test
results, she provides written comments directly on the report, and
mails a copy to the patient in a timely manner. Please contact
the office directly if several weeks have gone by after your test, and
you have not yet heard from Dr. Chen. If
a follow-up appointment is scheduled to occur
within a few weeks, Dr. Chen will hold the labs in anticipation of
discussing them directly with the patient at the upcoming
appointment. For patients who have
an HMO and elect to have their primary care physicians order the
requested labs, they are directly responsible for making certain that a
copy of the test results reach Dr. Chen for review.
Q. Will Dr. Chen be my primary care physician?
A. No, Dr. Chen is strictly a consultant, and
requires all new patients to sign an acknowledgement form stating that
they understand that she will NOT be designated as anyone's primary
care physician. She also does NOT participate in any direct hospital
care of the patient. Dr. Chen feels that with her current
part-time hours, she cannot dedicate enough time to be a good primary
care physician. She is happy to collaborate with each individual's
primary care physician and be a good advocate for the patient in the
capacity of a consultant.