How long do you wait at the doctors office?

[Kath2003]

I've never waited more than 10 minutes after my appointment time, apart from last week when they rang to say the doc was out on an emergency call and would I mind delaying my visit by 20 minutes.

The doctor calls you in to see him; we don't have nurses to do vitals etc. unless you need them.

 

[arminnie]

My experience is probably skewed, because I am a doctor, but, normally, I arrive about 15 minutes before my appointment time. Normally, I am taken to a room within a few minutes of my appointment time. I am usually seen by the doctor within a few minutes after that. Normally, I plan on the whole appointment to last about an hour for a routine type visit. And, I am usually correct. I have a large amount of forbearance and empathy for the doctors I see, whether they are medical doctors, podiatrists or optometrists. Emergencies come up.

I'mnot a doctor - but this is pretty much my experience too.

I have one doctor who will run late - but he is kind of "talky" so I think he can run behind more often. I know everything about his wife, children, life, etc. He's a very nice man - sometimes I just want to leave - but I also know that he will talk to me about my medical issues as long as I want too.

I haven't had a real problem with doctors running late in over 20 years (and I've lived in multiple cities and states). It used to be the norm to wait forever - but now it rarely happens. I won't go to a doctor that does OB though.

 

[PatsGirl]

After many years with the local GP I stormed out of his office after waiting nearly 90 minutes with a sick child. The previous 3 visits were the same and I made it clear that I'd be taking my files with me if I had to wait longer than 20 or 30 minutes. I think it's ludicrious that supposedly professionals think it is okay to overbook appointments and expect us to sit in the waiting room for hours to be seen. Not me.

My current doctor never runs more than 15 minutes or so and is often right on time. My DD's GP runs about 15 minutes every appointment and then tries to leave us in the exam room for another 20 or 30 minutes but I always tell the nurse we'll wait outside where there are televisions and books and other people to talk to, enough with having DD sit in her panties for 30 minutes getting nervous. They don't like it but they put up with us

 

[Piecey]

We don't have an NP at our office, just 3 OB's, and my OB actually cancelled all of her appointments once to deliver my twins, even though she wasn't the doctor on call.

Ohhh.. thats great! I do like when OB's are loyal to their patients like that. My SIL is very particular and I know my OB (who she used, too) went in to deliver my niece at 3am, when she wasn't on call. My SIL was just super uncomfy with anyone else doing it.

We do have an NP, though. I've had appointments with her instead of the OB before.. probably because I'm in the stages now where they're just checking heartbeat, urine, weight, etc. Once I'm in, I'm out within 5 minutes.
I'm sure that will change.

 

[onelilspark]

I think I'll be keeping my doctor geez. I'm having a problem with my left ear. I called Friday morning around 10. My usual doctor was out, but one of the other doctors in the practice could take me at 2. That same day. I got there at 155ish. By 2 I was taken back. The nurse did her thing, by 215 I saw the doctor by 230 I was in my car going home. That's typical for them. Not to mention, when the doctor came into the room, I maybe waited 5 minutes between the nurse and doctor and she says, "sorry for taking so long, thanks for waiting."

My eye doctor takes the longest. No problems with the girlie doctor either.

 

[LindaG4458]

My previous doctor was in a single doctor practice. She used to go away for the weekend and have patients scheduled at 9:00 on Monday morning. Of course, she only showed up at 10:30 or later. I found another primary care MD.

I recently had a colonoscopy. I was warned in advance that the doctor habitually ran late so I was somewhat prepared. My appointment was at 12:45 and we arrived at 12:30. I was taken to preop at 2:30 and spent another hour there. It had been two days since I had had any solid food and was a bit testy. Finally got out of there at 4:30.

My referring doctor, who is great and prompt and like going to see Ellen DeGeneres, will hear about this so she is prepared when sending others to this guy. He gets away with it because nobody wants to go through the prep again.

 

[ameraumi]

It depends on which dr.

Our GP, in and out within an hour. But now that we travel out of town for DH's oncologist the wait is much longer. The last few visits have been a 2 hr wait. Lately we have been waiting longer on Chemo days as well.

 

[AristocatFan]

Usually about an hour, hour and a half depending on the doc. Even the last time I had to take DH to the ER we were only there an hour and fifteen minutes and that included having x-rays!

I've never been late for an appt so I don't know how they would handle it.

 

[MushyMushy]

I love my doctor, so I don't mind waiting however long it takes. It's usually about an hour in the waiting room and maybe up to a half hour in the exam room... that's during a busy period like flu and cold season. But, he'll take his time with his patients and talk about our concerns and answer any question, no matter how small. He even humored my dad the other day when he wanted my dad to go in for an echo cardiogram, and my dad tried to explain to him that he needed to get his catalytic converter fixed on his truck. I mean, how many doctors would have just shut him up or brushed him off?

Or when he's discussing treatment options, he'll talk through his thought processes and tell you the latest research on it rather than just giving you a prescription and sending you on your way.

No, I don't mind waiting for him. But what infuriates me is waiting for a specialist who spends about 2 minutes and barely takes time to answer questions. I get that they're busy, but when they're getting over $150 for an office visit, I think patients deserve some time and care from them!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I have learned to ask for the first appointment of the day. Even the ones that are a hour after the office opens tend to be about 1/2 hour-45 minutes til I am called back. I don't understand how they ever manage to go home at night when they start out so far backed up. I guess they tend to move a little faster when it's getting close to quitting time.

I spent over 2-1/2 hours with DS9 at his Ped. Opthamologist appt once. It took about 45 minutes to go back, dialate, then waited another 45 minutes until I asked how long he needed to have the drops take effect? They said, Oh he's supposed to be looked at NOW. So we were in there for over 2 -1/2 hours for about 15 minutes of actual attention. He missed 1/2 day of school for just a drs. appt. Now I will only take the first appt of the day.

When we moved, I found a GYN-not OB. What a difference that made! No emergencies for baby deliveries, just the usual business. I went from waiting for an hour before seeing my dr. (whom I loved) to waiting 30 minutes for an exam tops.

 

[Just Jan]

I see a family practioner and think he's terrific. I don't recall having a terribly long wait to see him so it can't be too bad. I never feel rushed by him.
In August os 2007 I was seriously ill (from a tick bite, but we didn't know that until labs were done). I had a 1:30 appt to see him he sent me have blood work done at the lab in the hospital. I was out of the lab and on the way home by no later than 2:30. he called me at about 5pm. He told me he needed to speak with a specialist and needed to research meds. I was being admitted by 6:30pm. I was also seen by him not a hospitalist in the hospital at 7:30am.

when I see my hematologist/oncologist I always ask for the last appt of the day as he is in Boston and I can work most of the day and hope that a lot of the traffic going home has dispersed. I have seen him for 16 years. I go prepared to wait and have waited to see him for more that 3 hours ( after the hosptial stay i had to see him 3 days straight. I know I was worked into the schedule for those three days. I always bring a book. That being said, He is by far the best dr I have ever met. He is at the top of his field in the nation! I know he takes his time with each of his patients. I would wait as long as it takes!
That being said, I work in a dr office and when the dr is running behind we always make a point of making the patients aware if there is a wait time and how long it will be. One afternoon the dr was running EXTREMELY behind! It was about 4:30, people were hungry and getting a bit irratable with the wait. I broke into the staffs stash of peppermint patties and chocolate and walked through the waiting room offering it to everyone and asking if anyone had a good joke to share. It seemed to help.

Sorry this reply got winded, I hope every md office at least let's people know how far behind a dr is running