Dear Patient,

[Deb in IA]

If you check in at 10 am for your 8:45 am appointment, please do not expect your doctor to see you.

Thank you.

 

[lynxstch]

Sorry can't resist...Dear Doctor, I checked in at 8:45 for my 9:00 appt, why am I still sitting here waiting at 11:00?

 

[Deb in IA]

Sorry can't resist...Dear Doctor, I checked in at 8:45 for my 9:00 appt, why am I still sitting here waiting at 11:00?

Beats me.

I would have left.

 

[nugov2]

Sorry can't resist...Dear Doctor, I checked in at 8:45 for my 9:00 appt, why am I still sitting here waiting at 11:00?

Was just going to post the same thing. I have had that happen to me many times with no apology from the DR, but it is rude to be 1hr and 15 minutes late for an appointment and not call.

 

[mom2rose&john]

Sorry can't resist...Dear Doctor, I checked in at 8:45 for my 9:00 appt, why am I still sitting here waiting at 11:00?

And still have to pay the copay


My thoughts exactly, beat me to it.

 

[lucas]

Sorry can't resist...Dear Doctor, I checked in at 8:45 for my 9:00 appt, why am I still sitting here waiting at 11:00?

I've been there!

 

[Anna114]

Beats me.

I would have left.

Would that I could take that approach. When I go it's for my script refills and there is no getting around it.

 

[kathie859]

In my experience, due to increased competition, I haven't waited for a doctor's appointment for quite a long time. And frankly, I won't! If the doctor has an emergency and is delayed, I'll reschedule rather than sit patiently. If an office is so poorly run that patients habitually are inconvenienced, I'd be concerned about the level of care.Q

 

[brnmommy]

Lol!!!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Dear Doctor. Seeing as how I usually check in at 8:45 for my 9:00 and you don't see me until 11:00 anyway, I just decided to run some errands today instead of checking in at 8:45 instead of reading 3 year old magazines to pass the time and checked in at 10:00. That's still an hour before 11.

 

[wdw4rfam]

Dear moms doctor, Next time you are "held up" at the hospital, I would appreciate a call so I could reschedule. Or I will kindly leave my mom with Alzheimer's, with your nurses so they can explain to her every 5 minutes for an hour and a half why she's there and how much longer. Then I won't need a prescription too by the time I walk out

 

[LSmith]

Sorry can't resist...Dear Doctor, I checked in at 8:45 for my 9:00 appt, why am I still sitting here waiting at 11:00?

 

[wiigirl]

 

[Jaya]

...or your appointment is for 9:00 and they call you in at, say, 9:15. OK, looks like it's going to be a good day. But wait, they put you in a freezing examination room dressed in a paper-towel robe and you sit there with nothing to read but toenail-fungus brochures and Radiology Today until the doctor rushes in at 10:30 for your 30-second visitation. That way, they can consider it an on-time appointment, I guess.

I saw a Walmart last year that had a medical clinic. You checked in for your appointment and they gave you a buzzer. You could wander around, go have a Coke, or even sit outside until your time came. Wandering around in a Walmart beats the hell out of reading toe-nail fungus brochures, wouldn't you agree?

 

[Deb in IA]

Was just going to post the same thing. I have had that happen to me many times with no apology from the DR, but it is rude to be 1hr and 15 minutes late for an appointment and not call.

Time to find a new doctor.

 

[Robinrs]

Time to find a new doctor.

In my world that doctor DOESN'T EXIST.

Okay, I know I don't know much about smaller towns but everywhere I've lived the wait time is unbelievable. I always make sure I have something to entertain myself because after the lobby wait, there's the sit in the office wait, then the wait for the nurse who's gonna take your vitals wait... I practically have to take a day off just to see a doctor about something small.

 

[Burnedout]

And still have to pay the copay


My thoughts exactly, beat me to it.

And if you walk out they charge for a missed visit.

 

[Hannathy]

And with the new "plans" it isn't that easy to just find a new DR.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Why is your office staff checking them into be seen in the first place?

If I walked in that late staff would tell me to make another appt.

 

[aprilchem]

It seems to me that if you attempt to check in at 10 am for an 8:45 am appointment the front desk attendant will turn you away. You've missed your appointment.

Accordingly, if I'm asked to wait more than 20 minutes late for my appointment I leave. If the office attempts to charge me for an office visit I can (and will) contest the charge and I've always been successful doing so. In my opinion, my time is just as important as my physician's time is.