Doctors office visit

[historicfirearms]

I'm in my late thirties and in pretty good health. Rarely go to see a doctor, so don't have a regular family doc yet. Two months ago I hurt my wrist and put off doing anything about it, hoping it would heal on its own. After three weeks the wrist still hurt like the dickens, so I made an appointment with a doctor that a family friend recommended. The soonest he could get me in was yesterday at 3:00.

I arrived 15 minutes early to fill out any paperwork and be on time. The nurse called me in to the exam room right at 3:00 and after taking my blood pressure, she just left without a further word. I waited in that room for 45 minutes for the doctor before I came out and asked what was taking so long. The nurse just said, "the doctor is running behind". I could hear the doctor talking to a patient about their grandchildren and their summer vacation. I waited another 15 minutes, an hour total, and still no doc. I walked out of the room and told the nurse that this was unacceptable and I was leaving. She asked if I wanted to reschedule, I told her I would not be coming back. No apology or any sign of respect from any of the office workers.

Is this normal for the medical field? Like I said before, I don't go to see a doctor much. My last appointment was five years ago. In my job, if I made an appointment with someone and was an hour late, I'd probably get fired. At the very least, I'd call and tell them why I was late and apologize.

[chsparkman]

Unfortunately that is not at all unusual these days. I've only encountered one doctor who was conscientious about waiting time.

[**oneshot**]

My Doc is really good about that, but I've been to others that were just as you described.

[phonejack]

It was a long time ago but, I have done the same thing.

[btroj]

What happened to make them run late?

"Emergency" visit for someone who was or wasn't really sick? Old lady with tons of questions? Stuck on phone arguing with insurance company to get something covered for a patient?

I hate waiting too but with one MD to see patients a small overage by each person ahead of you makes everything run late. It snowballs rapidly.

People want to be chatty and take time with the MD. Sadly, that makes someone else's appt run late.

Medicine isn't a production line. It isn't something where you can say with certainty how long each appt will last or what will happen they the day.

They should have kept you appraised of the delay. They need to communicate better. Stopping the delays isn't gonna happen.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

...Is this normal for the medical field?...

In my experience YES !

I have waited many times like you mention. I've learned to schedule appointments first thing in the morning whenever possible, very little waiting when you're the first or second patient.

[Ford SD]

I have a reg family doctor 1 h drive away don't go to him much (most 1/2 wait)

I have a walk in clinic 15 min away and I take a book and if I was in and out in less than a hour --I would go by a lottery ticket

have been in the waiting room for 3 hours before my name gets called (flue season)then in and out 15-20 min so about 3-1/2 h per visit

it is reg for people to come in (sign in) leave and come back later

late in the day if you show up they will tell you not taking any more paitents docket full




I'm in my late thirties and in pretty good health. Rarely go to see a doctor, so don't have a regular family doc yet. Two months ago I hurt my wrist and put off doing anything about it, hoping it would heal on its own. After three weeks the wrist still hurt like the dickens, so I made an appointment with a doctor that a family friend recommended. The soonest he could get me in was yesterday at 3:00.

I arrived 15 minutes early to fill out any paperwork and be on time. The nurse called me in to the exam room right at 3:00 and after taking my blood pressure, she just left without a further word. I waited in that room for 45 minutes for the doctor before I came out and asked what was taking so long. The nurse just said, "the doctor is running behind". I could hear the doctor talking to a patient about their grandchildren and their summer vacation. I waited another 15 minutes, an hour total, and still no doc. I walked out of the room and told the nurse that this was unacceptable and I was leaving. She asked if I wanted to reschedule, I told her I would not be coming back. No apology or any sign of respect from any of the office workers.

Is this normal for the medical field? Like I said before, I don't go to see a doctor much. My last appointment was five years ago. In my job, if I made an appointment with someone and was an hour late, I'd probably get fired. At the very least, I'd call and tell them why I was late and apologize.

[wallenba]

My doctor is a 'talker', and I know it, so I allow for it going in. He's really good at his job, remembers everything from visit to visit. I hear him chatting in the next room with his other patients too. I've had taciturn, non-communicative doctors in the past, who explained nothing. I'll take my 'talker' any day. He always asks about my shooting and casting, he's a hunter/fisherman and good Christian too. The way I see it, a little chatting relaxes the patient, and he gets a more honest evaluation.

[starnbar]

The best advice and it was given ahead of me is to go early after 40 plus years of getting up at 0430 its easy to be in and out before the crowds. I have had the same doc for 30 plus years so he will schedule me 30 minutes before he opens for regular patients too.

[Kraschenbirn]

I've been doing regular (every 8 weeks) treatments for AMD for the last 4 years and I cannot recall a single time that the doctor has actually been on time. The prep nurse (dilation drops and retinal scan) are ready almost as soon as I walk in the door but then it's back to the waiting room for anything from 20 minutes to an hour. And, it's not like he's had time for a 'stack-up' of time lags 'cause I always schedule for early mornings and there's never more than a couple patients ahead of me.

Bill

[Wayne Smith]

The first time I saw my allergist I waited almost four hours. From then on my appointments have been either at 11:30 or 11:45. She wants lunch too! She is very good and very through and that I value.

[WILCO]

Is this normal for the medical field? Like I said before, I don't go to see a doctor much. My last appointment was five years ago.

This is normal. It's going to get worse as obammycare ramps up. We shall have the worst healthcare in the world. Many will die. Many will flee to other countries for treatment. Better get used to it. Embrace the "Nudge" committee and death panels.

[Rick N Bama]

I book early appointments and for my routine stuff I see the CRNP. On my last visit I was in & out before my actual appointment time! Love ya Becky!

Rick

[500MAG]

What happened to make them run late?

"Emergency" visit for someone who was or wasn't really sick? Old lady with tons of questions? Stuck on phone arguing with insurance company to get something covered for a patient?

I hate waiting too but with one MD to see patients a small overage by each person ahead of you makes everything run late. It snowballs rapidly.

People want to be chatty and take time with the MD. Sadly, that makes someone else's appt run late.

Medicine isn't a production line. It isn't something where you can say with certainty how long each appt will last or what will happen they the day.

They should have kept you appraised of the delay. They need to communicate better. Stopping the delays isn't gonna happen.
Sounds like our job. Oh, how many times I've wanted to tell those people in a rush that I'm not flipping cheeseburgers in the back. It's medicine! As a Pharmacist, I find it funny that people are willing to wait for a nicely cooked steak but want their medications, which can kill them if a mistake is made, prepared in 2 minutes. As far as the office visit, I agree that they should have at least warned you of the delay.

[btroj]

Yep. Was told just the other day it shouldn't take 10 minutes to fill a prescription, we just had to grab it off a shelf. The people ahead of him in lone didn't seem to matter at all.

Guys, this sort of thing isn't going to get better. We are about to dump a ton of people into the que for all medical related services. Bet you can imagine what that will do to wait times.....

[frkelly74]

First thing right after lunch seems good. My wife took me in for a well child check up as she calls it and there were no cars in the lot and we walked right in , after the silly paperwork of course. I do like it, when it is my turn, that the doc asks questions and explains what he is doing chats a little and does not seem in a great rush to get somewhere else. If I had a complaint it would be that the girls at the counter seem like their job is to run interference to deflect questions and not make appointments. Maybe that is their job. They do not work for the doctor but all of them work for the Mega hospital that has gobbled up and taken over the smaller ones in the area. But that is another separate complaint.

[500MAG]

With Obamacare the large clinic practices are pushing for 15 minutes max per patient. I prefer to wait and let my physician take his time.

[Bad Water Bill]

At age 77 I know what is in store for me under O butcher mads.

At your age we can not afford to keep you alive one moment longer.

Go take a walk deep into the mountains and please do not bother us again after all we have welfare patients that come first. [smilie=b:[smilie=b:[smilie=b:

[scottiemom]

that is why I always get the first appointment of the day whenever possible. If that doesn't work, I go for the last appointment and call about an hour before to see how far they are running behind.
I used to work for a physician - we would start on time but between phone calls from other physicians (can't not take those) and those "chatty" patients, some days I was lucky if I got 5 minutes for lunch. of course the doc took his lunch hour...
Unfortunately, many physicians double and triple book the same time slot- on the assumption some people won't show up for their appointment. anyway, btrog was right, they should have kept you appraised of the time issues.

[smokeywolf]

Yep, that's normal. I have walked out on an appt. when the doctor failed to keep it. Many doctors seem to think they are exempt from any obligation to keep their appt. time with you. I do understand that the nature of the diagnostic work that they must do frequently precludes staying on schedule. However, how many times has your doctor been in the exam room on time or even within 10 mins. of your appt. time? Because they are routinely late, it is a pretty good indicator that they are booking appts. closer together than is realistic to ensure that every minute of the doctor's day can be charged to a patient.
Because my physician is the type that does not leave the exam room until she knows for certain that all of your questions have been addressed, I expect her to be late and am willing to wait for her. Keeping that in mind, she's usually within 20 mins of appt. time, and has never been more than 45 mins. late.

Waiting for a prescription is a different story. There's no appt. and exacting weights, counts, drug interaction instructions and many other factors are critical. I'd rather have it accurate than quick.

smokeywolf

[Bad Water Bill]

I schedule an appointment with a DR for 9 AM. I have to tell my boss I did not get out of the office till noon.

No I did not get the whole roof shingled and it pored that night so the ceiling throughout the house fell in.

Guess who just lost a $40.00+ hour job and how much someone else had to pay to fix up the ruined house.

Can my lawyer submit that bill to the DR?

Both the DR AND the staff must know exactly what the average patient time is probably to the minute. Book accordingly.

You are not impressing anyone but yourself by having 10-20 SICK patients sharing their germs around the waiting room.:evil:

[Hawkeye45]

I agree with Btroj and the same thing happens all of the time in the pharmacy. Working with insurance companies can and will eat up a lot of time very fast. I was always being yelled at by patients because it took longer than they expected. Proper communication both ways is very important.
There seems to be too many people taxing the limited medical resources these days. IMHO.

Mr. Ed

[Alan in Vermont]

I try to get early appointments but that may not even work. Rode the elevator up with two other guys one morning. It was an 8:00 AM app. and all three of us were scheduled for the same time with the same Dr. Not a whole lot of excuse for that.

Latest episode was when I showed up for a 9:00 AM app., and they were already running 1½ hrs. behind. That is pure BS and also shows a complete lack of respect for the patient.

My cardio Doc somehow manages to keep his schedule running on time so it IS possible.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I live in a town of 6,000 and we have a hospital 3 blocks away. In all my years here, I have never had to wait like that. That kind of wait would be very irritating.

[Blacksmith]

It depends on the health care provider. My current Dr. is good at keeping on schedule, sometimes early, but once in a while runs behind because of an emergency. I also do my part, I show up early, have a list of current medicines with dosage and a list of my questions (for new Doctors it is extra early for paperwork and a list of all Dr.'s). I try to be a good patient and it shows because I have been called to take an earlier appointment when they have a cancellation because they know I will be there on time. The worst around here is the emergency room even when you are actively bleeding you can have long waits.

[John Allen]

My family doctor is great you only wait at most 15mins. If I go to a specialist I will want to bring a book as it is hit or miss.

[ryan28]

I live in a small town with a population of about 2000 . There is a hospital, but the emergency room is closed 3 days a week for 8 hours, or so.
The few doctors here all have closed practices, so many have to rely on the Monday scheduled clinic, where you can expect to wait the entire day.
I drive 2 1/2 hours to the city for my appointments.
Don't get sick in rural Canada!

[375supermag]

I find this interesting as I have a lot of doctor appointments, mostly specialists for follow-up care from my cancer tribulations from last year.

I see my radiation oncologist every three months until this last visit. We will now see each other every 4 months. I get in the exam room within 10 minutes of arrival. He is usually in to see me within 10 minutes. He never seems rushed and is very thorough.

My thoracic surgeon generally as me in the exam room before I pick up a magazine in the waiting room. He is usually in to see me and discuss my latest X-ray within 5 minutes. I never feel like he is rushing me out of the office. all of my questions and concerns are addressed to my satisfaction.

My head and neck surgeon is pretty much the same although he may keep me waiting as much as 20 minutes, but I am OK with that.
why?
First, he saved my life and I don't forget that.
Second, he used a robotic surgery technique that allowed my to avoid horribly disfiguring surgery and allowed me to eat and drink normally after a couple of months of healing and speech/swallowing therapy while living on a feeding tube.
I don't forget that, either.

Third, he is a nationally recognized expert in his field and is a teaching professor. His time is always in demand by colleagues and patients that are facing life-altering and/or ending cancers.
Despite that, he spent time in the hospital with me on a Sunday as I recovered from surgery that he performed on Friday morning. He has a whole staff that he could have and did send in on Saturday and Sunday to check on my progress and send him text messages and e-mails to keep him updated.
He knew that I was concerned about my recovery because of the stroke I had after lung surgery just a month earlier. He spent a lot of time with my family and I on Sunday as he reassured us that things were going well. That meant a lot to a very worried wife and my children.
I do not forget that.
If I have to wait a few minutes extra in the exam room, I just reflect on the fact that before Dr. Califano began to address my case, I was declared terminally ill with less than a year to live.
It is now 18 months later, I have been back to work for a year and eating a normal diet since July of last year when the prognosis was that I may never eat solid food again. Many patients with my type of cancer live the balance of their lives disfigured and taking nourishment through a permanent feeding tube.

If he is late for my appointment, I just chalk it up to him helping to save some other person's life.
I know what it is like to be that person.
I can live with him being a little late now and then...he was right on time when my life hung in the balance.

[Thin Man]

Some times the issue is with the staff and their placement of patients in the examination rooms. I visit a doctor for follow-up of a major surgery from 7 years ago, now visiting on 6-month intervals. I always schedule the visits early to avoid the long delays created when the doctor is delayed by patients in the hospital, ER or office visits. About a year ago I had a typical early appointment time and checked in at the counter. Sat in the waiting room for a bit, then had to go to the rest room. Back to the waiting room where I saw several people being taken to examination rooms ahead of me. Just before lunch time I was called to an examination room. I asked why the delay, and learned my name had been called earlier but I did not respond to the counter (gone to the rest room). At that time my name was placed on the bottom of the call chart and I was later called after those who had checked in before I was called. Sure I got chapped but learned a valuable lesson and won't forget it. Time is valuable and don't squander it.

[dakotashooter2]

Yep. Was told just the other day it shouldn't take 10 minutes to fill a prescription, we just had to grab it off a shelf. The people ahead of him in lone didn't seem to matter at all......

Your situation is entirely different......Addicts and drug dealers need their supply right away.....................

[Blammer]

I walked out once after waiting an hour and a half.

They wanted to know if I wanted to reschedule, I said yes, put me down for 3pm and I'll show up at 4pm and expect to be seen immediately. They were not thrilled about the answer. I found another doctor.

The Doc I have now is very good about appt times. Within 10 min of the time set he's in there doing his thing.

[rockrat]

That happened to me too many times. I would walk out after about 30 min and reschedule. They would want me to pay for the missed appointment and I would tell them I am on time, I didn't miss it. I finally would reschedule and then show up 30 min. after my appointed time. Receptionist was PO'd, said I was late. Told her that I usually have to wait at least 30 min. so I should be right on time. Just smiled at her. She couldn't say much, and went and sat down. Did that a few times, then went to another doc.

[LUBEDUDE]

I just turn out the lights, crawl up on the exam table and take a nap.

When the Doc comes in, he gets the message Loud and Clear!

[historicfirearms]

I just turn out the lights, crawl up on the exam table and take a nap.

When the Doc comes in, he gets the message Loud and Clear!

Lol! I will have to give that one a try.

[enfieldphile]

My PCP (primary care physician) is also in my shooting club. He is usually behind no more then 15 minutes.

Pharmacist here are usually honest about how far behind they are. I can live w/ it when they say "it will be an hour". Unless they lie to me, then we have a major league problem.

Once, my wife was really ill. I brought her prescription to the only place in town that had that medication. This place was not my first choice. Our regular pharmacist actually called around to find a place that had this medicine. I turn it in and the pharmacist in this place, and he says, "it will be 20 minutes." There were only about 3 people waiting.

5 minutes later, he comes to the counter and says to me, " It's going to take 2 hours."

This is really out of character for me, but I stood up, pointed my finger @ him, raised my voice and said, "you know what? NO! You're going to do it right now. You follow?"

He quietly said, " Yes sir." He filled the order right away!

I did appoligize for rising up before leaving. Not one of my better moments.

[jcwit]

Wow! I go to the VA Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana, my average wait time is 10 to 15 minutes from my appointment time. If I arrive early many times I get in early. Plus my care is super, I have no complaints, super caring staff.

[MT Gianni]

In the early 90's I started throwing up blood and went to the ER. I took the Gastroenterologist that was on call as mine. I asked a nurse about him later and she said the Administrators and nurses have some problems with him but his patients love him. i asked why? Her reply was that he rarely is on schedule as he takes whatever time is needed to complete a patients needs before moving on to the next. He remains one of the better Dr's I have ever had. I currently live outside a town of 1100. On Dr in his 70's another in late 50's and a PA. You rarely have to wait for an appointment.
Getting the first one in the Am doesn't help much if they have been at the Hospital seeing patients since 6:00 Am.