Medical consultation

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

An appointment is always needed for consultations outside emergency hours.

This is the first step. You must meet with ,a surgeon. You wish to have precise information concerning the pathology motivating your consultation..

For this, you need to make an appointment, via the website or on the phone with one of our three consultation centres.

3 Institutions

Our clinic opening hours are from 8H00 to18H00 from Monday to Friday  at the Centre Ostéo-articulaire de Condorcet Mermoz et d'Arnas.

Our administrative assistants will welcome you and will contact you to arrange an appointment between you and one of our 9 surgeons.

In the event of an emergency

Call us quickly in case of an emergency (see section emergencies), a telephone call before your arrival will help us to make all the necessary arrangements to provide you with the best care.

Your medical file

On your arrival, we will create a medical and administrative computer file which is linked to the French Social Security.

You will always be able to access the information in this file. You will need to send a written application to your surgeon or through your GP. You can refuse the gathering and computerization of your information.

You can find more information at www.conseil-national.medecin.fr

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR FIRST CONSULTATION

This is an essential step. Diagnosis is established at this moment. It confirms or eventually readjusts a diagnosis already made. The clinical examination of the patient is essential. Any abnormal radiography result should only be taken into account if they are correlated with the clinical examination results.

The surgeon will answer your questions : Should I be operated, on which technique do you advise ? What should I expect ?

Objective and subjective discomfort should be evaluated, something that is not always easy to asses during the first meeting. It is in fact difficult to determine in a few minutes the intensity of pain, its resistance to medical treatment, its repercussions on daily and professional life and to think of the improvements which can be provided.

Documentation to bring with you

For your first consultation, please bring all results from any examinations already performed (mail, x-rays, scans, MRI scans, electromyography, blood tests, operation reports), and the following administrative paperwork:

  • Social Security Registration card
  • Health provider certification.
  • Any document proving health coverage for particular situation, for example : occupational diseases, work-related accident, long-term illness or invalidity,

Special attention must be paid to young patients. Minors will not be consulted alone and a consent for operation will have to be signed by parents/tutors of the child.

What to bring with you

TREATMENTS

The treatment offered will take your personal circumstances into account (age, profession, right or left hand, comorbidity...), the spontaneous evolution of your condition and the options for treatment.

Our surgeons keep abreast of progress not only in their field but also other disciplines involved in the management of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Ample time must be given for the consultation and, if needed, second one can be arranged so that you can be fully aware of the reasons for the choice of treatment.

On this occasion you can ask any questions to help you make your decision about a possible surgery.

  • If surgery is not an option, an appropriate treatment will be suggested medical treatment, orthotics, physiotherapy, other specialized consultation new complementary examinations and the surgeon will have to give you a new appointment for your follow up.
  • If the surgeon chooses a specific treatment, he will explain the different types of treatment, its benefits, risks and complications as well as the expected results and possible consequences.

A date and a place for surgery will be be arranged depending on your availability.

CONSULTATION FEES

Consultation fees for an appointment (fees applicable from January 1st 2015) are 46 to 80 Euros.
Second appointment fees or regular follow up fees are 23 to 55 Euros.

Excess fees

Our surgeons at Hands Are Us are allowed to apply surcharge fees according to medical convention sector 2 agreements.

We are allowed to apply surcharge fees for consultation and operations with tact and moderation, including consultation and operations for work accidents or occupational diseases.

Surcharge fees are not paid by the State Health insurance coverage.

Surcharge fees are adapted depending on the complexity and the expected duration of the operation.. Surcharge fees are added to conventional sector 1 fees , which are reimbursed by Social Security. Theses surcharge fees are totally or partially reimbursed by some health care providers.

Reimbursement of fees

Remember to choose and declare your regular doctor to benefit from medical follow up and better reimbursement , so that you remain within coordinated care. In this case, you will be reimbursed normal applicable fees, i.e. 70 % of conventional fees, and 1 Euro  charge for taxes.

If you have not declared a regular doctor, or if you consult one other than your regular doctor without referral you will not be in a coordinated care program and you will be reimbursed less by your Health Insurance provider

You can find more information at: www.ameli.fr

A pre operation cost estimate will be given to you. This will specify the nature of the operation, the CPAM,,operation code, the fees reimbursed by your Health Care provider and the total fees.

We advise you to contact your Health Care provider to obtain information about your reimbursement rights on in patient hospitalisation and surcharge fees.