Why does it take so long to see a doctor?

Question

LIke a family doctor. I'll get there on time, or early...and it takes like 3 hours to see him for 5-10 minutes!

WHY?!

i think 3 hours is the longest i've had to wait... i've had to wait like that long at a walk-in-clinic..

this also happens when i'm the only one in the waiting room...and there are like no cars in the parking lot except the help...

Answer 1

You are going to the wrong doctor. For mine, I usually show up about 5 minutes early and get into the exam room where an aid takes the history. My doctor then comes in about 5 minutes later. 20 minutes is the longest I have ever had to wait.

Answer 2

Usually delays in the schedule are due to a combination of things. First, you have the patient who books an appointment for one thing, and on arrival wants to discuss three or four other matters. Then there are those patients that don't have the simple thing they thought they had. You can also have a situation where the patient is going to get some bad news, like a test came back showing something that suggests cancer- and you have a very upset patient to calm down and support. You wouldn't want a doctor who told his patients, "sorry- I know I just gave you bad news, but you only were booked for 15 minutes, and your time is up now"- now would you? How many times have you been guilty of saying to your doctor "oh, and while I'm here, can you have a look at this as well?" Did it occur to you that those extra minutes, mulitiplied over four or five patients, can add up to an hour delay or more for those waiting in line? No, in an ideal world, everyone would get seen exactly on time. But medicine is not assembly line work, and treating people's ails is not like soldering on a connection. If you find yourself waiting an exceptional long time, the staff should be giving you some sort of update and explaination, and even offering you the option of leaving and coming back again later, or rescheduling if it is possible. If it is a continual problem, then perhaps you might want to consider changing doctors. Some doctors do just work notoriously slow. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'd want a doctor who was so slavishly intent on staying on schedule that he would short change my needs for the sake of it. I've waiting not so patiently myself a few times, and I would hope others would be patient when it's my turn to take a few extra minutes of the doctor's time. Some things in life just can't be made to run on a schedule, and doctors appointments are pretty much one of those things.

Answer 3

A number of reasons. Paperwork -- charting your visit takes about 15 minutes per patient. Phone calls, doctor to doctor consultations can be time consuming and then, there's the nurse who does the prescription refills over the phone, a good nurse can do the documentation, but ultimately, it's the doctor who is required to read thoroughly and then sign the bottom line. And let's not forget the pharmacy that calls to verify an order or notify that they are either out of or get approval (like when someone calls the Walmart pharmacy for a prescription refill but they are out of refills). Then of course, there are just some doctors who truly are slower than molasses on a cold Sunday morning.