Do you agree?

Question

After rereading Diamond's question about "Receptionist's", It got me thinking about the word "Patient"...do you think that word was chosen by whoever to deliberately try to instill in to our minds thats how we should be....lets face it, how many of us certainly feel IMPATIENT when we visit Doctors, Dentists etc.....wonder how many other words out there that means the total opposite.......

Oh, I am officially a witch now with looks of it.....my avatar has stayed the same on every page all morning....LOL

I agree with you Cactus on just the waiting thing, I am a very patient Patient on that score, I have waited almost an hour on some appointments as I know things happen, it's just on lots of other factors i.e, dealing with Receptionist's etc

happihawkeye... thats great about the baby "sitting" thats what I mean about some words being the opposite of what it's title is
yes my avatar is just for halloween, I'm a little angel rest of the year....bless you, you sound like a really sweet person

Hey FL Girl....were twins, you are the nicest of us though....you are smiling

Answer 1

An interesting thought, impatient patients.

Having to wait for 2 3/4hrs to see a doctor on my last visit to the surgery, patient is definitely the wrong word for us sick people.

How about babysitting. Sitting was the last thing I did when I was babysitting.

I love your look. Is it especially for Halloween?

xx

Answer 2

I also worked in doctors offices often at the "front desk". I would be yelled at by patients for waiting so long, when in fact the doctor had an emergency at the hospital and was running late.I did keep the patients informed and would ask if they wanted to wait or to be rescheduled We also scheduled every 15 minutes, and would double book if someone was acutly ill. Sometimes patients that came in were very, very ill. Soemtimes the doctor would have to consult with a specialist on the phone Sometimes the patients would ask so many questions that the doctor would take longer to explain things to them. Many times I had to ask the doctor to "speed it up". Please remember too that many with HMO's, they will NOT pay for emergency care, you must be seem by your assigned doctor first. This presents a problem too. HMO's also state that a patient must be seen within 24 hours for certain things. Sometimes the person at the front desk also verifies your insurance before you are seen, then there is the phone calls and checking someone out, collecting your copayment and then scheduling another appointment. I can assure you that no one really wants you to wait on purpose. There were days that I felt like I had been in "combat". It isn't the front desk persons fault, it is the nature of the business

Answer 3

Having been involved in the medical care field myself, I know what is happening in the background that others do not see. Our problems actually stem from there not being enough doctors and nurses to service ALL of the people who want to be seen in a timely manner.

Do you know that most appointments are made in the expectation that they will last only 5 minutes? If you have a really "old fashioned" Doctor who likes to spend time with each of his patients and get to "know" them, then his appointments may be scheduled at 15 minute intervals.

We can lay the blame squarely onto "specialization". There are not too many GPs left because they don't make the money that "specialists" do. And with these younger generations of Doctors, it is the money that is the motivation for most of them.

That, if you think about it, is a pretty sad commentary of our times!

Answer 4

I understand scheduling problems and walk ins. I try to be kind and courteous. I am patient. I have sat three hours waiting watching the whole office empty and haven't said a thing. But.....when one particular Dr does this over and over because you don't complain I consider that being taken advantage of. The next time I went I mentioned that I had another appointment (which was true) and couldn't be late. I was kind and courteous. I was seen promptly.
So, I guess playing the waiting game and being patient does pay off after all. Plus I tend to get more time with my Drs when I see them. I like that. I am always being active in my health care. The Dr cannot do it alone. He is not a mindreader.

Answer 5

I've been lucky I guess, but I really dislike going to drs having seen so many after my accident that I dont go unless I am seriously ill, so I never seem to wait. ONCE I sat on a chair in the ER for SEVEN hours with a broken back because the Triage nurse was an idiot - when I finally got to xray the Dr there stomped over to ER admiting and literally screamed at her. I never saw her in ER again. I am always fast tracked.

I get annoyed hearing other people in ER saying they have a sore throat and when the Dr asks how long they have had it, they say a couple of weeks - thats what family Drs and walk in clinics are for, and that is what creates backlogs in ER's.

I also know people who literally see their doctors two or three times a week, when they arent even sick, they just want the attention. My mother got like this, always saying "I think you should take me to the doctor" but when I asked what was wrong, there was never anything that required seeing a doctor. She liked her doctor and liked seeing him.

I never wait more then 10 minutes in my Dr's office. He is very good, and I ALWAYS ask for a specific length of time with him, like 15 minutes because if I go I want two things taken care of, thereby eliminating another visit.

Answer 6

I have had dealings with many hospitals over the years and I have learnt to be a patient patient, waiting to see a consultant doesn't bother me at all.
I have realised that there are people who come into hospital as an emergency and need to be treated before I do. Other problems occur that take medical staff away from their department and therefore cause delays.
There is no point in getting upset about it and raising your blood pressure over something over which you have no control.

Answer 7

I've been lucky with my doctors. I seldom have more than a 15 minute wait. I know some friends that have waited over 2 hours to see their doctor though. That's just wrong!

You are a cute witch! You are so lucky that your avatar has made an easy change. Mine has taken days of switching back and forth. I still don't trust it!

Answer 8

A Patient "is one who suffers" Some times even more at the hands of the officious receptionist

Answer 9

On the avatar, yours is cool. Mine is stupid Marie Antoinette or something!
As to the word patient, I totally agree about that!What a terrible word to associate with what you must endure. I think prisoner might have been a little closer to the truth!

Answer 10

I used to get disgusted waiting because I go to an Indian Clinic, but, I take my kids to the Dr. down town and have to wait just as long. I think the whole world is a waiting game, on the phone listening to prompts, waiting in line at the grocery, waiting in line at Wal-Mart and a lot of places!!