Comments on: Waiting at the doctors office… 1 hr and counting http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/ add business, marketing and technology together. shake gently. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:11:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Bruce Makuk http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-42476 Bruce Makuk Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:43:39 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-42476 I don't know if this will help, but you know what I do? If my wait time goes too long after my appointment, I get up and walk out, saying that I have another appointment and my time is inportant to me. And, I will even walk out of that little room, with nothing to read but the medical charts on the wall of the inner ear or something, where they pigeon hole you to wait for the doc to pop in so he can maximize his patients seen number. If enough of us get up and walk out, maybe they will schedule better. I don’t know if this will help, but you know what I do? If my wait time goes too long after my appointment, I get up and walk out, saying that I have another appointment and my time is inportant to me. And, I will even walk out of that little room, with nothing to read but the medical charts on the wall of the inner ear or something, where they pigeon hole you to wait for the doc to pop in so he can maximize his patients seen number. If enough of us get up and walk out, maybe they will schedule better.

]]> By: Jason http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-26253 Jason Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:30:43 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-26253 Hey everyone! I'm a 17 year old doing a research paper for a bill in my debate class. I have had to wait a whole lot in the waiting room. I have average insurance and when I go into the doctor's room to get a check up, I hear the nurses giggling and taking up my time with "fooling around" on the job. I don't know about you, but my parents have said to me that when I get a job, I should do my job or I might get fired. I mean sure, it gives patients a positive environment to be in, and they might be talking while they are waiting for things to be copied, but I do believe that someone should at least come in and tell me if the doctor is going to be that much late. I mean, what if I have a heart attack and the door is closed. If you can, please send all the information to jboiusa1@aol.com so that I have other people's opinions, thanks! Hey everyone!
I’m a 17 year old doing a research paper for a bill in my debate class. I have had to wait a whole lot in the waiting room. I have average insurance and when I go into the doctor’s room to get a check up, I hear the nurses giggling and taking up my time with “fooling around” on the job. I don’t know about you, but my parents have said to me that when I get a job, I should do my job or I might get fired. I mean sure, it gives patients a positive environment to be in, and they might be talking while they are waiting for things to be copied, but I do believe that someone should at least come in and tell me if the doctor is going to be that much late. I mean, what if I have a heart attack and the door is closed.

If you can, please send all the information to jboiusa1@aol.com so that I have other people’s opinions, thanks!

]]> By: Deborah Brewer http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-18275 Deborah Brewer Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:40:11 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-18275 I have found the OB/GYN offices are the worst for long waits. Specialists in general are a pain that way, but when I was scheduled to go in for a yearly exam I made a special point of calling before I left my office to see how the doc's schedule was running. The staff were often a tad put off at the implication that they're not running a smooth ship, but after some probing questions I was generally able to ascertain how late the doc was running and advise them that I would be coming in closer to THAT time rather than my appointment time. (Asking for first appointment of the day won't even work in that case unless you're prepared to ask if your physician had call the night before.) I have yet to find an office penalize me for that approach. My taking up room in their office getting irritated while my desk piled up served no purpose whatsoever. Also relevant. I have worked in the admin. side of medical offices for the last 19 years. I was not allowed to give excuses to our patients, or more importantly our physicians, and as a patient, I won't accept them. I have found the OB/GYN offices are the worst for long waits. Specialists in general are a pain that way, but when I was scheduled to go in for a yearly exam I made a special point of calling before I left my office to see how the doc’s schedule was running. The staff were often a tad put off at the implication that they’re not running a smooth ship, but after some probing questions I was generally able to ascertain how late the doc was running and advise them that I would be coming in closer to THAT time rather than my appointment time. (Asking for first appointment of the day won’t even work in that case unless you’re prepared to ask if your physician had call the night before.) I have yet to find an office penalize me for that approach. My taking up room in their office getting irritated while my desk piled up served no purpose whatsoever.

Also relevant. I have worked in the admin. side of medical offices for the last 19 years. I was not allowed to give excuses to our patients, or more importantly our physicians, and as a patient, I won’t accept them.

]]> By: WAITING FOR THE DOCTOR… | Raw Food Tip http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-18260 WAITING FOR THE DOCTOR… | Raw Food Tip Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:27:06 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-18260 [...] One blogger even made a video while waiting and posted it on his website. [...] [...] One blogger even made a video while waiting and posted it on his website. [...]

]]> By: Kevin P http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-18159 Kevin P Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:59:08 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-18159 Aarrgghhhhh .... waiting in the waiting room! I sometimes feel like exploding in there. I understand the reasons that doctors may need to, "handle an emergency", "take an extra few minutes with a really sick patient" or whatever. I get that. What I don't get is why the freaking receptionist or whoever can't come out to you and tell you that the doctor is running late, and we're sorry for the delay. ANYTHING! Instead of leaving you for 30, 60, 90 minutes and only responding to you when you go to them to complain, or ask what the delay is. Then they treat you like you're the one with the freaking problem. If anyone else ran a business like that, they'd be out of business. It's like they don't give a rat's ass about anyone's time but their own. Aarrgghhhhh …. waiting in the waiting room! I sometimes feel like exploding in there. I understand the reasons that doctors may need to, “handle an emergency”, “take an extra few minutes with a really sick patient” or whatever. I get that. What I don’t get is why the freaking receptionist or whoever can’t come out to you and tell you that the doctor is running late, and we’re sorry for the delay. ANYTHING! Instead of leaving you for 30, 60, 90 minutes and only responding to you when you go to them to complain, or ask what the delay is. Then they treat you like you’re the one with the freaking problem. If anyone else ran a business like that, they’d be out of business. It’s like they don’t give a rat’s ass about anyone’s time but their own.

]]> By: Elizabeth http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-18123 Elizabeth Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:25:08 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-18123 Don't even get me started on waiting rooms. We had to go to the ER while I was about 5 or 6 months pregnant. The OB's office sent me down there when I called. I was having severe back and abdominal pain and I had kidney issues to begin with, so it was looking like I was having a really serious kidney infection. We sat in the ER waiting room for 3 hours. At the 3 hour mark a gentleman came in with an obviously broken foot. In fact he was carrying X-Rays from ANOTHER hospital. Another 2 hours went by, neither of us had been seen. By then I was in so much pain I was in tears and I was terrified it was hurting my baby. 5.5 hours later, I was seen. I sat there for ANOTHER hour waiting for the doctor to come in. He sent in a student, fine I don't care. They did a urine sample and took some blood. I did have an infection. I was so angry. Second example. I was sitting in the ER early in the AM with severe abdominal pain. There were no other patients. First off I waited in the waiting room for about an hour. When I was called back all the curtains were pulled open and all the doors were open. No patients. I watched as the ER doctor had a bagel and cup of coffee, chatted with the nurses, then moseyed on into my room. It was everything I could do to keep from reaching across and strangling him. Gave me a shot of Demerol and some phenegren and then sent me home. Don’t even get me started on waiting rooms. We had to go to the ER while I was about 5 or 6 months pregnant. The OB’s office sent me down there when I called. I was having severe back and abdominal pain and I had kidney issues to begin with, so it was looking like I was having a really serious kidney infection. We sat in the ER waiting room for 3 hours. At the 3 hour mark a gentleman came in with an obviously broken foot. In fact he was carrying X-Rays from ANOTHER hospital. Another 2 hours went by, neither of us had been seen. By then I was in so much pain I was in tears and I was terrified it was hurting my baby. 5.5 hours later, I was seen. I sat there for ANOTHER hour waiting for the doctor to come in. He sent in a student, fine I don’t care. They did a urine sample and took some blood. I did have an infection. I was so angry.

Second example. I was sitting in the ER early in the AM with severe abdominal pain. There were no other patients. First off I waited in the waiting room for about an hour. When I was called back all the curtains were pulled open and all the doors were open. No patients. I watched as the ER doctor had a bagel and cup of coffee, chatted with the nurses, then moseyed on into my room. It was everything I could do to keep from reaching across and strangling him. Gave me a shot of Demerol and some phenegren and then sent me home.

]]> By: sam http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-18122 sam Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:41:07 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-18122 this is nothing--with the increasing number of older pts, fewer drs, and loss of jobs and insurance it could be weeks of waiting to get an appt and then hours of waiting in the office this is nothing–with the increasing number of older pts, fewer drs, and loss of jobs and insurance it could be weeks of waiting to get an appt and then hours of waiting in the office

]]> By: Dustin Jacobsen http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-18118 Dustin Jacobsen Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:05:01 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-18118 Mary, Thanks for the comment. We all appreciate the hard work of the medical community, and having family and close friends in the industry has provided some insight into the broken system. I admit I don't have a solution, and if there was an easy one, it probably would have already been implemented. Ultimately, it boils down to a cost and resource issue. We all want cheap insurance, but that's at odds with the medical community providing the kind of service that they want and we have come to demand. Mary,
Thanks for the comment.

We all appreciate the hard work of the medical community, and having family and close friends in the industry has provided some insight into the broken system.

I admit I don’t have a solution, and if there was an easy one, it probably would have already been implemented.

Ultimately, it boils down to a cost and resource issue. We all want cheap insurance, but that’s at odds with the medical community providing the kind of service that they want and we have come to demand.

]]> By: Mary Vicente http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-18116 Mary Vicente Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:05:30 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-18116 As a lead nurse in a doctor's office, a few thoughts: 1. If the physician spent just 15 mins/patient, that would equate to around 28-30 patients/day. How would patients and families handle 15 mins? Consider: conversation,exam, findings, discussion of findings, options, medications, new/established patient, family questions. 2. Consider: 90 year old patient, in wheelchair, needs a procedure, can't walk, etc: converstaion, findings, etc. Even a high risk/complicated pregnant patient... 3. Patient shows up with unrelieved pain, vomiting, has a 10 mm kidney stone that needs to be removed...doctor has to emergently arrange surgery for that patient...conversation, etc. These is just a fraction of what the MD and staff have to deal with...phone calls, other MDs calling in with info/consults, patients who just show up, no appointment,with a problem. Drug reps should have appointments as well, not ahead of patients...but, they drop off free samples that get passed on to you. This helps many patients with cost savings, especially if the med does not work and we have to try something else. If we truly schedeuled according to the time patients think they should have with the MD, we might be able to see 10-12 patients a day and folks like you would have to wait weeks to get any appointment with the MD only there on certain days, etc. Many a night, we are in the office to 7 pm to accommodate folks who work...and we do it gladly. We have nurse visits only where the MD does not need to be present for what the patient might need. I have never said no to someone who called in with a worry or concern that needed to be seen right away. If the MD was not in the office, I would have them come by to see me, and send them to the ER if necessary. I live in Raleigh NC...a high population and growing area. Sheer numbers of people needing medical care is incredible. So...we on the front lines are doing our very best in most places. I would always keep patients informed of the time, what was going on with the MD, and if they needed to reschedule. Like they say..."Walk a mile in the other's shoes....". Thanks for writing your article..and allowing this input as well. Many blessings to your family! PS Phone triage alone could be 50-100 calls a day; I'm sure in an OB/GYN office it was more than that. MD has to be involved in most of those as well. As a lead nurse in a doctor’s office, a few thoughts:

1. If the physician spent just 15 mins/patient, that would equate to around 28-30 patients/day. How would patients and families handle 15 mins? Consider: conversation,exam, findings, discussion of findings, options, medications, new/established patient, family questions.
2. Consider: 90 year old patient, in wheelchair, needs a procedure, can’t walk, etc: converstaion, findings, etc. Even a high risk/complicated pregnant patient…
3. Patient shows up with unrelieved pain, vomiting, has a 10 mm kidney stone that needs to be removed…doctor has to emergently arrange surgery for that patient…conversation, etc.

These is just a fraction of what the MD and staff have to deal with…phone calls, other MDs calling in with info/consults, patients who just show up, no appointment,with a problem.
Drug reps should have appointments as well, not ahead of patients…but, they drop off free samples that get passed on to you. This helps many patients with cost savings, especially if the med does not work and we have to try something else.
If we truly schedeuled according to the time patients think they should have with the MD, we might be able to see 10-12 patients a day and folks like you would have to wait weeks to get any appointment with the MD only there on certain days, etc.
Many a night, we are in the office to 7 pm to accommodate folks who work…and we do it gladly. We have nurse visits only where the MD does not need to be present for what the patient might need. I have never said no to someone who called in with a worry or concern that needed to be seen right away. If the MD was not in the office, I would have them come by to see me, and send them to the ER if necessary. I live in Raleigh NC…a high population and growing area. Sheer numbers of people needing medical care is incredible.
So…we on the front lines are doing our very best in most places. I would always keep patients informed of the time, what was going on with the MD, and if they needed to reschedule.
Like they say…”Walk a mile in the other’s shoes….”.
Thanks for writing your article..and allowing this input as well.
Many blessings to your family!
PS Phone triage alone could be 50-100 calls a day; I’m sure in an OB/GYN office it was more than that. MD has to be involved in most of those as well.

]]> By: Tasha http://shakegently.com/2007/09/12/waiting-at-the-doctors-office-1-hr-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-18114 Tasha Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:46:00 +0000 http://shakegently.com.s24970.gridserver.com/?p=148#comment-18114 In that case, then wouldn't they send someone in? At the most, a PA or something to take a look at her, or in the least, a nurse to tell them what's going on. In that case, then wouldn’t they send someone in? At the most, a PA or something to take a look at her, or in the least, a nurse to tell them what’s going on.

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