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| - I encourage anyone looking for a Rheumatologist to stay away from Dr. Areena Swarup AND/OR the Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates. Anyone who has seen a rheumatologist in the past knows that finding someone to listen to your concerns/issues and accurately diagnose them is difficult at best. Rheums consistently get low ratings because of this and because people in pain have very subjective feelings on the subject, so please understand I'm aware of that fact as I write this review. The low ratings from others sound simialr to mine because they ARE. This is not just your average mediocre Rheumatologist. This doctor, her office and their draconian policies redefine the phrase "crappy medical care" in a whole new way.
Here's a list of items to consider if you're looking into this doctor or her practice at Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology. If you:
1) Have an existing, diagnosed AI condition and want a pro-active doctor who will partner with you, this is not the doctor for you. Dr. Swarup prefers to write RX's for pills and steroids rather than dig into your issues. Got a new ache or pain? Take a pill, don't worry about the rest.
2) Want to see an actual Rheumatologist? This is not the doctor for you. Remember that old saying, "If you go to a Rheumatologist's office but never see a Rheumatologist, does she really exist?" Dr. Swarup sees you once for your initial visit and then hands you off to a PA for subsequent visits. The PA is only good at one thing - pushing steroid injections. If you have medical-specific questions, have a positive lab result for a test that's never been positive before, or actually just want to go over things with your Rheum in person, you get told to make another appointment for follow up. When you come to that appointment, guess what? You're seeing the PA again. Hope you have good insurance, because copays for specialist followups when you never actually see a specialist can be spendy!
3) Occasionally want a second opinion? Not here! AZ Arthritis and Rheum have a very strict policy that you cannot switch to or even request to see another doctor within the practice, which means that if you want a second opinion, you have to then either travel to Tucson or beyond, go outside your insurance network, or get on the waiting list for the mere handful of other Rheums not associated with AZ Arthritis who are in Phoenix. IF you even ASK for another doctor, your patient care will be terminated immediately. They apparently take "second opinions" personal and it's their way or the highway. Patient care at it's finest!
4) Expect to get timely reminders of appointments? Need to reschedule? This is not the doctor for you. Getting through to make an appointment is terrible. Their number is always busy so you have to keep calling back multiple times before you get someone. There isn't even an option to leave vm - what year is this, 1990? Their appointment reminder system is also abominable. Sometimes it calls, sometimes it doesn't. And once it called me and reminded me that I had an appt on Thursday. When I called to check on that (because I'd written down Wednesday instead) the receptionist told me I'd already missed my appt and it was 2 hours ago. Sheesh! By the way, DON'T miss an appointment. Not only do you get billed for it (which is to be expected), but Dr. Swarup sends you a personal letter telling you how you're becoming unreliable as a patient and how if it happens again she'll terminate your care. For ONE missed appointment. So, you can't make an appointment to actually *see* Dr. Swarup, but if you miss an appointment she'll send you a letter threatening to terminate you as a patient! Awesome!
On the whole, Dr. Swarup and the AZ Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates do not allow patients to switch doctors, to even see their doctors, or miss or reschedule appointments and do not seem interested in providing anything other than medication after medication. I've never encountered another doctor or group of doctors who wanted so little to do with their patients as they do at this practice, and it makes me wonder - why even practice if all you're doing is collecting a paycheck? Oh...right, they get a paycheck! These people only want to pump you full of whatever medication they're currently getting kickbacks for. If you're the kind of patient who wants to be in control of their own healthcare, you're not going to find any advocates at this facility. I realize there are few options otherwise, but there ARE other options and I encourage you to seek them out before turning to this practice. However, if you like contributing to your Dr.'s next BMW out of the goodness of your heart, then by all means, set up your appt today!
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