Whether it be confirming appointments in writing or bringing cash along, The Local Austria’s editor Amanda Previdelli explains how you can avoid mistakes when seeing an Austrian doctor.
I moved to Austria with a very clear wish and a very unrealistic expectation: I wanted to avoid culture shocks at the doctor’s office.
There are plenty of areas where you can cope with misunderstandings and awkward moments. But in a medical setting, where you are already stressed and vulnerable, I really did not want to be learning a whole new set of rules as I went along.
Of course, that is exactly what happened.
Most of those early shocks I can laugh about now. Almost all of them, I can turn into cautionary tales.
So, if you are new here, or even if you have been here long enough to think you have it all figured out, here is what I wish I had known.
Mistake number one: assuming a public doctor won’t charge you anything
I went to a specialist I had been to before, a Frauenarzt (gynaecologist). In the past, I had never had to pay anything beyond the usual, show-your-e-card and walk out. This time, the doctor did the same kinds of exams I had had elsewhere, and then casually told me I owed around €80.
Her explanation was that one of the examinations, or rather the machine she used for it, was not covered by public health insurance. Which is probably true, but I didn’t know it was even possible.
This is not common, though. I have been here for almost 10 years, and it has happened to me once. Not even other doctors in the same speciality have done this, but you should be prepared (or better yet, ask about this prior to the consultation).
The thing I did right: confirming appointments in writing
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If there is one habit I will evangelise forever, it is this one.
In my first years in Austria, I confirmed almost everything by email because my German was terrible, and numbers in German (especially on the phone!) felt impossible.
That habit saved me from a truly unhinged situation.
Years ago, I had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for a Monday morning. I had the email chain with the date and time clearly written down and the date scheduled on my calendar. On Friday morning, my phone rang, and I picked up to a man who was already furious.
He was shouting at me in German immediately about how I had missed my appointment, had not shown up, and now owed €100.
I was half-asleep and barely understood the words coming out of his mouth. The intensity of it is still burned into my brain.
I tried to speak, but he did not stop. At some point, I hung up, partly because my German couldn’t keep up and mostly because I was genuinely shaken.
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Then I went back to the email thread, checked the appointment time, and confirmed I wasn’t losing my mind. It was there in writing: Monday. Not Friday, of course.
So I emailed them back on the same thread, complained about the treatment I got and how they had been wrong (but even if I had missed an appointment, that was no way to treat anyone ever).
And, of course, I did not have to pay anything because I had proof. If it had been my word against his, I am convinced I would have ended up paying – I mean, who was right? The local respected Austrian doctor or the foreigner with poor German?
Mistake number three: showing up without cash
Remember the gynaecologist who surprised me with the €80 charge? Of course, that practice did not accept card payments. So I had to leave, find a Bankomat (ATM), withdraw the money, and walk back in.
It wasn’t traumatic, but it was embarrassing, and it added to the stress of an already uncomfortable appointment. If you can avoid it, avoid it.
The thing I did right: asking other people what to expect
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There are small cultural differences in medical settings that you do not think about until you are suddenly in them because you just have no way of imagining them.
One example: what it is like at the Frauenarzt. Austria is, in many ways, very relaxed about nudity. Saunas, changing rooms, rivers in summer, you see a lot of naked people here. So it is not uncommon that you undress and move around the doctor’s practice (not the reception, they are not so relaxed) without the kind of disposable robe you might get in other countries.
I am fine (ish) with it now. But I was very glad I had asked, and someone did give me a heads-up.
Mistake number five: assuming doctors speak English because their website says they speak English
I once booked an appointment with an ENT specialist because his website had a profile page that looked very professional and listed languages: German, English. Great. Love that. At the time, I already spoke decent German, but I still prefer English for medical appointments.
So I went in and asked if we could speak English. He said no – no apologies, explanation or attempts to speak a little bit. The appointment was fine; I switched to German, but if you truly need English, please confirm in advance.
Don’t ask just “does the doctor speak English”, but “can we do the appointment in English”. Those are different questions. Some people can read English journals and list it as a skill, but don’t want to use it with patients.
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The thing I did right: going in with a list of questions
Where I am from, doctor’s appointments can last an hour. Doctors ask about a series of things that might feel unrelated to any possible issues, and take time to read you rather than just examine you. They sometimes get personal in a way that feels supportive.
Here, in my experience, if a consultation lasts more than 15 minutes, it is already a long one.
With my son’s paediatric appointments, I kept leaving feeling like I had not gotten enough information. I wanted practical guidance: introducing foods, what to keep at home for illnesses, what to watch out for, what reactions are normal after vaccinations, the sort of things you (or I, I guess) assume will be mentioned without you prompting them.
They were never mentioned. I get the impression some Austrian doctors lean towards not overloading patients. The less you know, the less you worry, and the smoother everything runs.
For me, especially when it comes to my child, it is the opposite: the more I understand, the calmer I feel.
So I started preparing questions in advance, literally typing them into my phone, and what surprised me was that doctors were usually very receptive. No one seemed offended or was impatient with me. If anything, it felt like they preferred this to me going home and asking Google.
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The mistake I keep making: expecting things to work like back home
This is the one I have still not mastered.
Even when I prepare, ask questions, and get better experiences, I sometimes miss the personal touch. I miss the extra curiosity and care, especially when it comes to my son.
Austria can feel more laid back about milestones, symptoms, and sometimes even warnings that would send doctors elsewhere into full action mode.
My husband had a check-up once, during which the doctor noticed something on his ECG that could be a warning sign. The doctor looked at it and then said, basically, our machine here is too sensitive. If you want, you can see a cardiologist to have it checked. “Only if you want”, he said casually.
For me, that is wild.
There are immigrant doctors in Austria
What you can do, though, if you want more familiarity, is look for it. Austria has a lot of immigrant doctors. I have been to doctors from the US, New Zealand, Germany, Iran. I once found a dentist who had done specialist training in Brazil. If you are craving a certain bedside manner or a certain communication style, you can sometimes get closer to it by looking for doctors who share your language or cultural background.
That is not always possible, and it is not always necessary. But it is an option that has helped me feel less alone in those moments where I really miss home.
In the end, I wish I could tell you there is a perfect way to avoid culture shock at the doctor’s office, but there isn’t. You will still be surprised sometimes (I still am!). But you can protect yourself from (my) worst mistakes.
And if you have your own stories, please leave a comment below – it can help me and other readers prepare for our next doctor’s appointment in Austria.