Originally Posted by
Dyan
For example, one patient is scheduled, and they bring along the brother because he has a fever too, they did not schedule this patient, so we work them in.
The parent who shows with her son's physical form that needs signed now because he cannot try out for football unless signed now.
Both of these instances are perfect examples of how to run an overscheduled, chaotic office. These patients should be told to schedule an appointment, just like everyone else does. It is rude and inconsiderate to both the doctor and his other patients. If they're decent people, they would realize what they've asked, apologize, and make their future appointment. If they're not decent, then who needs them as patients? They're just going to keep making unreasonable, selfish demands.
I've had two health scares with my husband, the first was I thought he was having a stroke. He had all the symptoms and had gotten off a plane earlier that day. I took him straight to the ER where we waited while others with earaches and knee scrapes went before him - NON-emergencies. As to calling an ambulance - we live down the street from the hospital, it's actually faster to drive him there than to wait for the ambulance to come from the opposite direction, not to mention the $700 ambulance co-pay.
For DH's second emergency, I thought I'd avoid the whole nightmare ER scenario, so I took him to the Urgent Care Clinic, which, in the past when I've had to take my boys, has been quicker and more efficient. Unfortunately, they determined he was diabetic and they could not treat him at Urgent Care, so they referred him to the ER. I hoped that since they had referred him and his blood sugar was dangerously high, we would get quicker service, but no, we ended up waiting yet again. One of the patients we waited for was a young woman who was worried she had been exposed to pinkeye. Ugh.