I know the times I was contacted did not feel intrusive. The reasons varied, but generally they pertained severe crisis of some kind: seriously suicidal and checking in with me, husband in the ICU and checking in on all of us, my son in the hospital and being sure he was getting the best care, my sister's death and checking in on all of us. They didn't call to shoot the breeze nor was the contact really all that unexpected. They had shown consistent concern and care in these situations and it was very natural that they would place a call to me under the circumstances. In the case where my husband was in the ICU, even his pdocs (both old and new) called because it was such a rare and potentially deadly situations they were highly concerned to be sure he was getting the right care (in the hospital he was under other physicians' care who weren't familiar with my husband).