Doctor's office RANT: I HATE waiting!!!

[Jennasis]

That's IT! I am never going to the doctor's office again! Whew...I feel better now. It's just that, no matter what time of day I schedule my appointment or how early I show up, they ALWAYS make me wait (usually in the exam room) for sometimes up to an HOUR before the doctor comes in! This is unacceptable! It's happened to me every time at my regular docs office and at every specialist I've gone to (except the nuerologist becuase he actually gets you out of the waiting room himself, not a nurse).

Once at my regular doctors office, they pulled me out of the reception area, took me into the nurses area to get my weight, blood pressure and temp (which the nurse usually does) and I realized that the girl doing it was an INTERN from the local high school! She was taking a LIFE SCIENCES class for credit by working at my doctor's office...no WAY was I allowing a kid to work on me unsupervised or to get any medical info from me (she started asking me what was wrong and such...it was a delicate matter and we live in a small town). She then finally put me in an exam room and left me there for an hour. Turns out my doctor wasn't using that wing of the medical building that day and had no idea I was there (cause the kid didn't tell know any better).

The appointment before that I waited 30 minutes because they were "backed up".

Before that it was 45 minutes from check in at reception to the time the doctor finally came in.

Yesterday at the GI specialist I got there 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork for my 1:45 appointment. All the paperwork was done and I was ready to go well before 1:45. A couple came into the office around 1:50 for an appointment at 2pm with my doc....not 5 minutes later they took that couple in BEFORE ME!!! I was LIVID!! (Just like that Larry David episode). The receptionist actually looked over her desk at me and could see me getting angrier and angrier because as soon as she peeked over at me and saw my PO'ed face she shot up and ran over to one of the nurses and whispered something to her. A few moments later that same nurse came out and called for me and was just OOZING politeness to me "Oh I just love the color of your PURSE!" What???? "That's a great sweater!" Huh? Whatever... So then she puts me in the exam room tells me "I'm Beth, and the doc will be in with you in just a moment!" (it's now 2:15)

he finally came in at 2:45...a full HOUR after my scheduled appointment time was to be.

I swear I hate doctors offices.

 

[Stitchfans]

YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO GET ME STARTED ON THIS SUBJECT. As far as I am concern doctors are the vultures of society, along with lawyers. Hope I am not stepping on any toes right now, but the moment you are at your weakess point they hit you were it hurts the most, the pocket book. Only their time is important, not yours.
At least my drs are like that. What it takes me a month to make they take from me and my insurance for a few moments of their time. Watch out if you are really sick. Wew!

ok, my vent is over

 

[ckay87]

I agree. Is there anyone working in a Dr's office who can tell why we must wait in the EXAM room instead of the WAITING room? If there's a good reason, can't they just put comfy chairs and magazines in the exam rooms.

Get this - our vet does this. Nothing like siting alone with my dog in a 7' x 7' empty room for an hour!

 

[swanmom]

A funny story to tie in with this thread. I went once to an optometrist and was five minutes late for my appointment (no, really.......I'm not exaggerating.....only five minutes late) and the receptionist says in a snooty voice, "Oh, you're a little late. I'll try to fit you in anyway but you know the doctor's time is valuable." That got me mad and I replied, "Yes, and so is my time. In fact, I calculate that he owes me about $100 for the hour that I waited the last time I was here. You can take today's 'overtime' out of that!" Everyone in the waiting area had a good chuckle.

 

[wdwmom2]

I do understand your complaint, I don't like waiting either. But I am a medical assistant in a pediatric practice and know what can go on "behind the scenes" that can make a doc run behind.

1. In office emergencies. Example: patient VERY ill and needs to be admitted to the hospital. Admissions are time consuming, and more frequent this time of the year. Mostly respiratory admissions.
2. Appointments that should be fairly simple and straight forward. Once the patient is in the room, the parent says, "and while we are here, this, this, and this is also wrong".
3. Patients that show up late. That just slows everything down. I will bring back a patient that is on time even if their appointment is after the late patient. I try my best to accomodate people that show up on time by getting them in out out as soon as possible. If the late person shows up too late and the appointment is for a non-emergency(check up), they must reschedule. Sick visits must be seen. An exception to this is if they call us, say they are running late, and have a good excuse.
4. Emergencies where the doc on call must leave the office and go to the hospital. Example: emergency c-section, a baby that is crashing, etc. The other docs in the practice have to now work the on-call docs patients into their schedule. This is always a fun day. NOT!!!!!

Please understand that I am not trying to make excuses for doctors when patients sit and wait long periods of time. I am sure that their are plenty of times that there is just no valid excuse. It just that, at least in my practice, there is usually a valid reason. I do keep my patients informed when delays happen and they greatly appreciate this. They like to know the they were not forgotten!!!!

 

[wdwmom2]

I agree. Is there anyone working in a Dr's office who can tell why we must wait in the EXAM room instead of the WAITING room? If there's a good reason, can't they just put comfy chairs and magazines in the exam rooms.

Get this - our vet does this. Nothing like siting alone with my dog in a 7' x 7' empty room for an hour!

I'll tell you my reason to have people waiting in the exam room over the waiting room. Illnesses!!!! If you are there for a routine exam, I would rather you be confined to a room than out with the general population that may or may not care if they cough and hack on you!!!! Yes, we have a sick and well waiting room, but the parents don't always keep their children in the appropiate room.

Also, by keeping my patients back in the exam room, the patients are ready immediately to be seen once the doc is done with the emergency. Also, if another doc has an opening, they will often take care of the patients who are waiting for the doc that is running late.

Hope this explains it!!!!

 

[Christine]

I agree with the exam room waiting policy. At a general practictioner's or pediatric office, I don't want to be sitting in a crowded waiting room with 20 people--10 of which probably have the flu. Just get me back to the exam room and give me my paper gown!

 

[missypie]

I totally think that the amount of time one waits is regional, due to the old market forces of supply and demand, competition, etc. I used to live in southern Illinois. I waited HOURS at each doctor's visit. The OB/GYN was the worst. You'd be sitting there for an hour, then overhear the staff say that the doctor was delivering a baby...at a hospital 45 minutes away...and the people in the office did not breath a word to all the folks in the waiting room. No consideration whatsoever.

So then I moved to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area...LOTS of doctors. I had three babies and never waited more than 15 minutes for my doc. One time the doc was called to deliver a baby at the hospital next door. He was back to me in 30 minutes. When I would have appointments scheduled and the doctor was out in surgery, deliving babies, or they had otherwise gotten behind, the doctor's office would ALWAYS call me and tell me they were behind and to come in later.

I truly feel that how courteous a doctor's office is depends on the amount of competition in the local community.

 

[AllyandJack]

I had this problem at an ER once. I was doubled over in pain on my right side and the check-in lady was too busy yapping with her coworker to take my information. I managed to squeak out an, "Excuse me...." and they both looked at me like they were shocked anyone would have the nerve to show up to their place of business and one said, "What's wrong with you?" Gee, lady, you work in the ER of a HOSPITAL....I'm SICK!! I didn't wait too long once she got me checked in though.

I never wait very long and, if there is a wait, someone usually tells me why - an emergency walk-in, doctor on the phone, etc. It's polite to at least go into the room and tell the patient they weren't forgotten and explain what the delay is.

 

[Miss Kelly]

It is my understanding that the reason most doctor's offices are overcrowded and the waiting times are long is that they overbook the appointments. 2 or 3 appointments to ONE time slot, thus increasing wait time.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

At the clinic I go to I used to wait up to an hour or more past my scheduled appointment to be called back to the exam room. That was followed by another lengthy wait to actually see the doctor. But that's changed!

Now the nursing assistant will call you either at your appointment time or no more than 15 mins. after you signed in -- it's practically guaranteed. If you are in the waiting area for more than 15 min. you tell the front desk and they call back to have you taken immediately. Sounds great, huh?

All they've done is shifted the wait location. Instead of sitting in the waiting room reading old magazines for an hour or more, you sit in the EXAM ROOM reading even older magazines -- with all the puzzles done! -- for an hour or more. No real change, except where you wait.

 

[Christine]

I have also found that the length of the wait has a direct correlation with how many insurance plans the doctor's office accepts. There are those practices that take EVERY insurance out there (and God bless them) but they tend to be very overbooked.

Now, when I pick doctors, I try to pick ones that only accept 3-4 insurance plans. I find that I don't wait as long there.

One of my doctors has actually decided not to accept ANY insurance. Yes, I have to pay him before I leave but I am lucky enough to have a plan that allows me to submit his bills to them. I never have to wait in his office, he only takes as many patients as he can handle, he only needs ONE person running his office, and they are always in a good mood!

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

After reading this, I thank god that I have the doctore that I have. He is really good and I never wait for my appointment. Actually if I am there a little early for my appointment they will begin early. Sometimes I wait in the exam room for about 5 minutes. Now the gyn, that is a different story. I wait for about an hour total. I can't stand waiting in the exam room in those gowns. I know everything gets delayed because patients make an appointment for a routine checkup and then decide to tell the doctor about the rash they've had for a month. It is just very inconsiderate and it really messes up my day. If the gyn wasn't such a good doctor I would surely be looking for a new one. I have no patience for useless waiting.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Don't forget, too, that doctors have to keep impeccible medical records of each patient's visit. This means they must write detailed notes for each patient. My own experience as a hospital nurse is that I've learned I must do my documentation as I go, or later on I am apt to forget important details. This could be detrimental not only to the patient if something gets missed, but to us from a liability standpoint (if it's not documented, then we cannot prove we did it).

wdwmom2, how does it work in a doctor's office? When do the doctors write their notes? Personally, I'd prefer my doctor write notes about my visit right after she sees me. That way details don't get lost, forgotten, or confused with another patient. All this takes time. Think of how many people they see in a day, and how complex the details are generally.

I see a LOT of doctors with my history of breast cancer. The only one who I have to wait for is my oncologist who I've waited to see for up to two hours. I often make my appointments for after a night shift since that way I don't have to make the hour trek in from home to see her. Several times I've been dozing off in the waiting room, LOL. It's a little annoying, but honestly I begged her to take me on as a patient since her practice was full and she did, so I feel like I'm happy to see her. I also know that if I'm waiting, someone else is likely worse off than me, and for that I'm grateful. When I was very sick they took their time with me, that's how it goes.

 

[Galahad]

It is my understanding that the reason most doctor's offices are overcrowded and the waiting times are long is that they overbook the appointments. 2 or 3 appointments to ONE time slot, thus increasing wait time.

I'm not sure MOST is accurate. This is something that neither DW, nor her partners, nor any practice we've been acquainted with has done. There are a lot of reasons that doctors run late. Most of them are not nefarious. A lot of times they are organized poorly. A lot of time a patient that should take 15 minutes takes an hour. A lot of times they really ARE stuck in a delivery or surgery. But it usually isn't because of overbooking or "greed".

 

[mickman1962]

My doctor is great! He always takes you within 2 minutes of your scheduled time. If your more than 2 minutes late he won't see you. He always hated having to wait and swore when he became a doctor he wouldn't do it to people. He says it is greed that drives it (his wife wants him to schedule more people per day ).

 

[AllyandJack]

I have 1 doctor who books multiple patients at a time. It's my reproductive endocrinologist. She does all of her blood and ultrasound monitoring in the morning so the blood results are back by 2pm. She tells us all to just come in "around 7am" or "around 8:30am". So, sometimes, 4 people decide to show up for the "around 7am" slot. But, it's just a blood draw and an ultrasound, so the wait is short.

 

[florida-again]

I was once told that you can always tell a good doctor by how late he was running. Particularly here in England where we have a National Health Service. The health service indicates doctors should spend something like 7 mins per patient. Therefore if your doctor is running late, it's a sign he/she is actually a GOOD doctor, that won't treat patients as if they're on a conveyer belt...

That being said I don't like waiting either.

One more thing, is having seperate well and sick waiting rooms a normal thing in the US? We don't have that here in the UK but I think its a brilliant idea!

 

[Christine]

I'm not sure MOST is accurate. This is something that neither DW, nor her partners, nor any practice we've been acquainted with has done. There are a lot of reasons that doctors run late. Most of them are not nefarious. A lot of times they are organized poorly. A lot of time a patient that should take 15 minutes takes an hour. A lot of times they really ARE stuck in a delivery or surgery. But it usually isn't because of overbooking or "greed".

I have been a patient of a 2-doctor GP practice for 10 years. I recently decided that I no longer liked the one doctor I was seeing and I made a switch to his partner. The office staff "warned" me that I would have longer waits with the other doctor because he is "slower" and takes more time. Also it would take longer to get in to see him because he takes more time and they can't "double book" him like they do with the other partner. Okay...I think I'll take my chances.

Last week I went to see my surgeon. I was told that I was his first appointment after lunch. Well, apparently so were 3 other people!! We all had 2:00 appointments. My GYN also double/triple books. Now that I know this, I make sure I get there early so that at least I can be the first of the three appointments he has booked for that time slot.

 

[Galahad]

I know everything gets delayed because patients make an appointment for a routine checkup and then decide to tell the doctor about the rash they've had for a month. It is just very inconsiderate and it really messes up my day. If the gyn wasn't such a good doctor I would surely be looking for a new one. I have no patience for useless waiting.

So would you rather the doc tell the previous patient that they can't deal with the other problem so they can stay on schedule?

DW had a patient this week for a 15 minute appointment that took 90 minutes. The reason was that they discovered that her baby is severely malformed. First off, the patient is VERY upset and needs the doctor to talk to her had give her answers. They the patient needs to talk through options that can't be put off until another day. Most patients would want their doctor to be there for them under those circumstances rather than say "I need to stay on schedule, please make an appointment to come back and see me later".

FWIW, DW gets VERY aggravated with they schedule too many patients for a given time frame. Overbooking is not something doctors do on purpose in may experience. It causes them a lot more headaches than it causes the patients.