Having experienced several adverse medical events requiring the use of services from numerous hospitals and clinics, we have noted the commendable increase in "followup surveys" by which those agencies hope to determine whether their services were satisfactory to the patients.

Unfortunately, on being sent home with a dozen bottles of medications and a thirty page instruction sheet on how to "get well," the surveys invariably arrive before there's been even sufficent time to settle down and begin the prescribed home treatment. In one case, I received a phone call from one of them TWO DAYS before Lin was dismissed from the clinic.

The phone calls are always automated, and the paper forms are ALWAYS "on a scale of 1 to n how satisfied were you with our services."

I have yet to see the option to responde with "HOW THE F*&@^! DO YOU EXPECT ME TO KNOW BEFORE I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IF I BEGIN TO FEEL BETTER."

All negative opinions are excluded, since those aren't choices on the forms. So why bother to ask?

John