Waiting at the doctor's office...what do you do?
 

I have been waiting in the doctor's waiting room for 1/2 hour. This is an 8 AM appointment and involves techs, not the doc
. I always try for the first appointment of the day...I did go up and politely ask how much longer it would be as I have other things to do today. And I do. So how long do you wait before taking action. What do you do?

Not much you can do, you are at their mercy.

I just never go anywhere without some hand sewing, or a good book. Seems like nobody thinks OUR time matters anymore! I just look at it as bonus sewing time.

I just wait. My doctor is worth waiting for. She does not rush with her patients and that makes it all worth it by the time it's my turn to see her.

That drives me nuts too. But, unfortunately, Doctors aren't always on time. There may have been an emergency. I have had to switch Dr's for my son recently. His pediatrician doesn't start till 9:30 but mine starts at 8AM. School starts at 9:20. A no brainer for me there.

A 1/2 hour to 1 hour wait doesn't bother me. What bothers me is my mom's pulmonologist. Every time I take her it is at least 3 hour wait. One time we were there for 6 hours.

One time I had a late afternoon appointment. After calling the doctor's office to make sure they were not running late, I arrived and waited about 20 minutes. I went to the desk and asked the office clerk how much longer I needed to wait. She said she did not know but I was next. I told her a little white lie: "I'm just wondering because I have my leftover lunch in the car that I don't want to go bad. Should I take the food home and come back?" (she didn't have to know that my lunch was in an iced lunch bag) Next thing I know, I was quickly ushered into the lab room and in and out in 15 minutes. Not sure I would tell that little lie again, but it worked that time!

Years ago, we went to a doctor who historically had very long wait periods. Once a gentleman brought his lunch in a black metal lunchbox. He began preparation to eat and realized he had no can opener and the lunch he had brought was all in cans to be opened. Poor thing! A person could make longtime friendships in the waiting room.
To date, if my doctor makes me wait, I do not mind in the least...if she had not found my cancer years ago, I would not be able to wait in her office..

I found this topic interesting as I've noticed in the past 2-3 years a change in many doctor's offices where I live. Most of them now have signs advising the patient to tell the front desk if they have waited more than given number of minutes, usually 15-25. It's actually been a while since I've had to wait in a doctor's office, sometimes to the point that I have to laugh because I've just gotten started on some article I wanted to read and was called to the back.:D My family care/primary care doc calls me his favorite patient, even in front of his nurses. But if I had to wait over an hour each time I went in, I'd change docs in a heart beat.

I just wish our extremely busy (2nd busiest in the state) emergency department could get it together; it's been horrific for literally years. I once took my 88 year old father in at 10pm for chest pains -CHEST PAINS, mind you! - and we sat in the waiting room for 45 minutes BEFORE he was even triaged. And that happened only because I made a little scene about it. Thank God he was having stomach/reflux issues not heart, but WE didn't know that and neither did they at first.

When I torn my achilles tendon from my heel last week, I went to our adorable little county hospital where they treat you like family -- love that place :D -- and they were so dear to me and my mother at 2am. Exam, xrays, labs, warm blankets, in/out in 2 hours.

Jan in VA

I used to have to wait up to an hour at the pediatrician's, but for the most part I haven't had to wait too long for myself. I figure you have to weigh the time you spend waiting against the time it takes to walk, out reschedule, and come back and wait again next time. I just wait and get it over with.

Our former primary care doc office was notoriosouly (sp) late for appointments - to the point they had no wall clock in the office so you could not easily see how far behind they were. This is the same office, when I needed a surgical referral and called them, they said I needed to give them a surgeon's name. So sorry, but not on a first name basis with surgeons in the area. Called our former/current doc's office and got all the needed info. Frankly, I would not wait more than 30 minutes for a scheduled doc appt. Particularly if it's a multi-doc office. They triple book for insurance purposes. And guess what....my time is equally as valuable to me as their's is to them! I only go to doc's when I am ill. Neither DH or I have ongoing issues that need maintenance. If there are 5-6 docs in the office, and you can't see me within 30 minutes of when I'm scheduled...guess what...there are docs/offices that can.

As to ER's.....God bless Jan's experience. Like the other poster that was taking a family member to the ER for chest pains....I was taking DH to ER one night for stitches. He sliced he hand from heel of thumb across entire palm to base of ring finger. At the end of the day it took 14 stitches to close the wound. BUT....it took us over 7 HOURS in the ER to deal with that. Because we had to wait for the slip/fall victims who walked into the ER that winter night. Our ER dept.'s are like going to a deli counter...take a number and we'll take you in that order. So much for triage.

My DH and I go to the same internist and only wait 10-15 min. Years ago I used to wait hours, but no more. I think the office used to book the appointments too close together, and don't do it any more. The last time I had to go to the ER, I only waited a few minutes--maybe because I was in so much pain (kidney stone). I think "they" have improved service a lot.
Sue

I always take a yo yo bag or hexie bag with me. If I need lab work and have to fast which lately a couple times. I make sure my appointment is very early preferably right after they open up. I get nauseous feeling and headache if I haven't eaten by 8-830a.m. I will not wait past an hour for dr. appointment. I get antsy and ask why. Had a dr. when I first came down here. No matter my appointed time it was always 2 hours that lasted ended another hour. that was the first and last time I went to him. I would just go to urgent care. when I had a heart attack ended up in the ER and the heart specialist referred me to my current dr. Been with him for over 12 years. Now most of the time I'm home within the hour after my appointment. I still take my yo yo or hexie bag.

Our wait times at our Primary Drs. office is usually kept to within 15 minutes AFTER our actual appointment time.. I can't say the same for COAG, those ladies are slower than molasses in winter.....lol If we wait longer than 15 minutes I start bugging them, I do this about 3 times with in a 10 minute span. Then as if by magic we are seen.

We make sure we are at least 10 minutes ahead of schedule for our appts.

I read a book on my tablet while I wait.

I always take a knitting or crochet project with me because I usually have to wait, sometimes an hour, sometimes longer, it varies.

I had a dentist once ask me to sign a form that I agreed to pay a penalty of $50.00 if I kept the dentist waiting. Really? A patient making the dentist wait? So I said I would be happy to sign it, IF he was willing to do the same for me. The receptionist looked as me like I was crazy. So told her my time was just as valuable as his and since I had to take off time from work, drive to the appointment only to be kept waiting it would make sense that I be compensated as he would like to be. The dentist said I didn't need to sign it, and he kept me as a patient.

It makes sense that a doctor really doesn't know what he is going to encounter when he walks into the exam room, but I do expect if they are running any more than 30 minutes behind that they tell me this when I check in. Because we all have more to do than sit and wait. I do take sewing or a book to entertain myself but it is totally rude not to warn us. We can always run an errand and come back. If I have an urgent need to see the Dr then they tell me what time to come in and so I am not taking up space in the waiting room.

I never have to wait very long. I am liked by the two D.A.s and they know me by name and by site. I am always 15 minutes early. I just grab a mag. and read.

A few years ago, there were many of us in my Dr.'s waiting room (he was a sole practitioner, so we were all waiting for one guy). One young woman mentioned to her companion that she was working at a crab house with a great price on all-you-can-eat. The fellow next to me asked her the name of the crab house and -- long story short -- it has become the go-to place for my husband and me and all our company ever since. Though I always take my Kindle, I am alert to "finds" that may crop up in conversation.

That Dr. has since retired and my new Dr. is very prompt. I've never waited longer than 10 minutes for the few appts I have had with her.

I work in a pediatricians office, I can tell you it is not always the physician running behind, it is the patients that make him/her behind. For examples, when our first pt is scheduled at 8:30 and shows up at 8:40 saying, "sorry I am a little late" that puts the rest of the day behind, and this happens a few times a day, the patients at the end of the day are the ones who wait longer. The patient who had blood work ordered, and shows up at the hospital with no order, again we drop everything to get it sent over. Also one patient is scheduled, and they bring along the brother because he has a fever too, they did not schedule this patient, so when we work them in, we do ask that they call ahead, maybe there is a better time to accommodate two patients but they don't care as long as they are seen, now we are behind longer. The parent who shows with her son's physical form that needs signed now because he cannot try out for football unless signed now. Again, we have to put the chart, fill out the form, the physician who should be going on to their next patient has to now review the form and sign it. Medication refills don't even get me started on how many times we have to interrupt for refill because we ask for 48 hour notice, but we usually get a few hours. My favorite is when a patient is brought in by a Mom or Dad and the parent who was not present at the visit, calls and wants the physician to call them so they know what is going on with the child. I know I feel sorry for our physicians, there are many days after office hours, they spend another hour or two doing medications, physical forms, calling parents.

I typically don't wait more than 30-45 minutes before I start asking questions. I went to a doctor one time who always had a waiting room full. When I got there, I asked if everyone was waiting to see him - yep. I just told them to reschedule me right then. Same thing next time. There was no third time.

My time is just as valuable as the doctors, and I have many demands on my time. I don't make people who schedule appointments with me wait and I don't wait long for someone else.

I had an eye doc that had about an 8 hour wait.

I love my rheumatologist, but I often schedule my appt. as the first of the day, and he is always at least 1 1/2 hrs. late. I've asked the nurses if he goes to the hospital to visit patients or just why he is always late, but they say it is just him. I would change drs., but he's really trying to help me find out just why I have bursitis so much in my shoulders. We can't figure out just why yet.:( It keeps me from doing my longarm quilting some days, and right now I have a quilt to finish, and then 3 to bind.

Half an hour is a doddle. I have to bank on between one and a half to a four hour wait. Six hours at the hospital. I always take hand quilting projects with me.

My doctor's office has a sign that says if you having been waiting 15 minutes past your appointment to let them know. I rarely have to wait even the 15 minutes. I understand emergencies, especially at a surgeon or cardiologist, but I will not go to a doctor who overbooks and makes me sit well past my appointment time. Many years ago I had a GP who overbooked so badly that they told you to call before coming to see how far behind they were. I changed doctor's very quickly. My time is as valuable as the doctor's.

30 mins? Not too long of a wait, IMhO. They have barely gotten to work at 8:00.

Now that is ridiculous! You waited?

:D :D I've never had that happen but I've often thought the warning that if you don't cancel 24 hours in advance or just do a no-show that they might charge you for the visit is pretty arrogant. I certainly think that my time is worth something, too.

For the most part, I try to schedule appointments first thing in the morning and am rewarded with fewer excessive wait times. The exception being when they have been delayed making hospital rounds or for emergencies. I've had doctors in the past who kept you waiting a long time but mostly don't have much trouble these days.

I always have a book or my kindle along for the ride and if the waiting room is well stocked with magazines I can get my junk magazine fix, too. :)

I always take my hexes with me.

We go to a major medical center with doctor's offices in the same complex as hospital, they have these signs as well. The one place they did have a backup was blood draw, people complained about it, the facility DID something about it, and now you don't have to wait anymore.

I usually have a book or magazine with me. DH has been getting radiation treatments every day, they have a nice place with free snacks and Keurig coffee, for the patients and caregivers. Also Reiki massage, free, while you wait. We are so spoiled by the great care at this place.

I try not to touch any surface with my hands. I try not to breathe. Then I check and double check to be sure I have hand sanitizer in my purse. I bring my own reading material. I don't want to touch the public magazines. Then I check my purse for hand sanitizer again. What else would I be doing? ;)

I once had to wait two hours for the doctor and when I got into the exam room, I could hear him in the next room just bs ing with that (male) patient. They were having a real chat and laugh fest. When the doctor finally came to my room he had only a couple of minutes for me and kept looking at his watch and stood with his hand on the doorknob while I was explaining my problem. I was furious. I called member services and filed a complaint and changed doctors. The one I have now is excellent and only once have I had to wait and they kept telling me how long it would be and that they were sorry for the wait time.

And sometimes in an emergency room you have to make a scene to get treated. A friend waited hours to see someone and turned out it was a severe blood clot. Her daughter had driven her there. They believe you get better and faster treatment if the paramedics bring you in.

I always have paper and pencil for zendoodling in my purse since I can't do the hand sewing. Once I start drawing, I lose track of the time and it seems to go by quickly.

i always take a book with me so I am not tempted to touch their magazines. Those are read by sick people, and all that glossy paper is a great resting place for all that bacteria to rest while it waits to infect you! Bleah!

I think the older I get (I'm 68) the less patient I get. I just won't wait over 30 minutes. I think life is too short to be spent in waiting rooms.

Honestly, I don' go to doctor's much but when I do I bring something to read. Emergency room is terrible and they really try to make family members uncomfortable so we leave. My 87 year old Dad with altizheimers was in emergency room through the night, they had no bed available for him so we had to wait and I slept next to him in a little folding chair. I really did it to help my Dad, but also their life was easier with my presence. Hey what can we do other than vent and complain.

Here's my example, I had a re-visit with my surgeon who operated on my foot. My appt. was for 11:15, called into the exam room right on time, WHAT !!!! I thought I had hit it lucky this time but not my day, it was a full 1/2 hour before the doctor actually saw me.

ptquilts (Barb in VT) are you talking about DHMC? I spend a lot of time in 3K, they are quite wonderful!

After a recent move to our current city, I had not as yet found a doctor. So having a really bad sinus headache I went to doctor's shop. You know those little drs office where you don't need a appt. Their posted sign should have been my first clue. Workmen compensation patients are their first priority. Injured athletes, same. They weren't very busy, they took all my information, escorted to exam room, where I took a one hour nap. Woke up and went home. An hour later, I received a call inquiring as to my whereabouts, and if I returned the dr would see me immediately. I still had a headache, but I informed them that I was not returning and that I had informed my insurance of the situation and to reject any bill sent to them.