2 hours passed appointment, is this a bad doctor?

Question

If patients had to wait nearly 2 hour passed their appointment at a private, one-doctor ophthamology clinic, is it fair for the patients to think poorly the doctor? Even though he insists on scheduling so many patients every day? Is this normal for doctor's offices? (I don't go very often, or have been in a while, so I can't remmeber my wait...)

Thank you all for your answers. Well, I guess I'll say that I work in the office as an assistant. and I work as fast and respectfully as I can, but once I'm done there's nothing left but for the doc to see them. There's only him and me in back, plus a biller and receptionist. And only 3 rooms. Yet he still insist on 40+ patients day 8am-5pm. I'm lucky to get a 30 min lunch. What is he thinking? But he's a good doctor/person... (and yagman... is the yag capsulotomy your fav laser or something? lol)

Answer 1

Let me weigh in on this. I am an optometric physician so I do all kinds of eye care prodedures. I treat diseases, shoot lasers, do minor surgical procedures, fit glasses, fit contacts, etc. My goal is to schedule patients in such a manner so as to maximize the number of patients I can see but at the same time remain timely in how I see them. I would say I stay on schedule or at most 15 to 20 minutes behind varying between the two throughout the day.

The problem occurs when I have set my schedule in this manner and a patient comes in with an emergency ocular injury that requires me to deal immediately with this situation. In these cases I can truly find myself 30 to 45 minutes behind.

So if this was an isolated incident related to unavoidable problems then I would give him the benefit of the doubt. If, though, he is chronically behind then he is speaking volumes to you about the value he places on your care. He is saying I care more about my car payment than about your eye care.

Check around. Talk to others in the community. If you hear similar stories from others seek care elsewhere. I'd be happy to take a look at you myself if you can figure out where I practice.

Answer 2

Waiting is very much the "NORM," especially if the surgeon is performing a difficult surgery or had to respond to an emergency. Waiting for hours before seeing your eye doctor can demonstrate poor scheduling and poor time-management skills. For an office to run on schedule, penalties must be placed upon patients who do not keep appointments or for those who do not cancel their appointments 24-hrs before their appointment. Perhaps the office should Impose a penalty for patients who are always late. Sometimes the good must pay for the bad!!! Thank God you only have to go in once a year.

Answer 3

You should charge him for your office visit. That is terrible and you should have left and rescheduled when the doctor can see you in a timely fashion.

I have had the same happen to me. Sat is waiting room for 1/2 hour. Taken back to doctors office for 1 hour - put in exam room for 1/2 hour (undressed and cold). Plus the time it took for the procedure. Once the doc was face to face he could tell I was upset. Plus I needed to have a needle stuck in my breast, so the wait only made me more nervous. When I came back for my follow-up they were still apologizing for what happened to me. The nurse said she "lost me". Then why did someone keep sticking their heads in to say the doc will be with you shortly? They were just overbooked but I should have screamed and that might have gotten me seen sooner. Don't be a dummie like me.

Your doctor is greedy. There are plenty other good doctors around, just waiting for a nice patient like you.

Answer 4

This does occur in some Dr. offices. If the Dr is running behind, the patients deserve an brief explanation and an apology.
Example: We had an emergency with one of our patients earlier in the day and it has caused a scheduling delay.....

I would blame the office manager for lack of consideration and compasion for the patients having to wait so long for their appointments.

Answer 5

If it only happened once, go back and try it. Sometimes serious problems back them up like they get calls from the hospital from a seriously ill patient of theirs in dire need, they have to take that call. It takes precedence. But if this happens every time you go to the office you should look for another doctor.

Answer 6

This is an unusually long wait. If this is normal for this doctor, I would suggest you find another one. The doctor is not necessarily bad, just trying to do too much. It is probably easy for something about a patient to get overlooked in that office.

Answer 7

absolutely not, they made an appt. for you at a certain time, and if you were there at that time..........they should see you at that time...one hr is bad enough..but 2 hrs??? OMG..I would have been livid.....I hope you didn't pay the initial visit charge........OMG.....you got me boiling..lol...I gotta go...bye