Waiting in a Doctor's Office. How long is too long?

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  • mickeyratmickeyrat Posts: 38,422
    edited September 2015
    brianlux said:

    hedonist said:

    I second jeffbr, if they notified you that they were behind or that there was a delay for an emergency then you can make a call about your options.
    Most Dr.s are 5 mins plus late, after half an hour I get up and demand an update from the front desk staff. If they can't give me one I leave. When I book another appt. I remind them repeatedly about my excessive wait last time. I'm a Dr. doesn't hold any weight with me, when they behave like your time isn't important all they are is a douche.

    "After half an hour" - how fucked up is that?

    Fortunately I haven't been for awhile, but I'd consider 15 minutes, maybe 20, as pushing it.

    And they always push it!

    Updates would be nice but never ever expected without a prompt.

    Were you in the exam room all gowned up, B?
    No, after 45 minutes they put me in a room with no windows and nothing to read and after 15 minutes of THAT nonsense I just walked out!

    brianlux said:

    I had a non-emergency appointment with my gastroenterologist today at 10:30 AM. At 11:30, I walked. A friend of mine said I shouldn't have done that. I argued that if I had reservations for dinner and arrived on time and had to wait an hour and was still not given a table I would walk. Was I unreasonable? How long is too long to wait in a doctor's office for a non-emergency visit?

    You waited longer than I would have. If they don't even value your time with some sort of explanation, you shouldn't have to sit there in limbo. How is the doctor? Do you have a good relationship? If not, maybe consider looking for another if this happens repeatedly.
    I saw him briefly once before and he seemed OK. The thing is, I'm supposed to have this guy do a colonoscopy on me. Oooooo-kay. So how does that work? They stick a camera up my butt and then take an hour lunch break? "OK, Mr. Lux, just lie still. We'll catch up with you later." Yeowee! image

    send them a bill for your time and the missed appt.

    Also dont know how your relationship is with your dr , but you might consider finding a new one. And send an exit interview type letter as to why.
    _____________________________________SIGNATURE________________________________________________

    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
    you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
    memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
  • WhatYouTaughtMeWhatYouTaughtMe Posts: 4,957
    edited September 2015
    mickeyrat said:

    brianlux said:

    hedonist said:

    I second jeffbr, if they notified you that they were behind or that there was a delay for an emergency then you can make a call about your options.
    Most Dr.s are 5 mins plus late, after half an hour I get up and demand an update from the front desk staff. If they can't give me one I leave. When I book another appt. I remind them repeatedly about my excessive wait last time. I'm a Dr. doesn't hold any weight with me, when they behave like your time isn't important all they are is a douche.

    "After half an hour" - how fucked up is that?

    Fortunately I haven't been for awhile, but I'd consider 15 minutes, maybe 20, as pushing it.

    And they always push it!

    Updates would be nice but never ever expected without a prompt.

    Were you in the exam room all gowned up, B?
    No, after 45 minutes they put me in a room with no windows and nothing to read and after 15 minutes of THAT nonsense I just walked out!

    brianlux said:

    I had a non-emergency appointment with my gastroenterologist today at 10:30 AM. At 11:30, I walked. A friend of mine said I shouldn't have done that. I argued that if I had reservations for dinner and arrived on time and had to wait an hour and was still not given a table I would walk. Was I unreasonable? How long is too long to wait in a doctor's office for a non-emergency visit?

    You waited longer than I would have. If they don't even value your time with some sort of explanation, you shouldn't have to sit there in limbo. How is the doctor? Do you have a good relationship? If not, maybe consider looking for another if this happens repeatedly.
    I saw him briefly once before and he seemed OK. The thing is, I'm supposed to have this guy do a colonoscopy on me. Oooooo-kay. So how does that work? They stick a camera up my butt and then take an hour lunch break? "OK, Mr. Lux, just lie still. We'll catch up with you later." Yeowee! image

    send them a bill for your time and the missed appt.

    Also dont know how your relationship is with your dr , but you might consider finding a new one. And send an exit interview type letter as to why.
    Edit - I'm so mad I didn't realize you were responding to Brian, not me.

    Second visit to this specialist. Looks like I will be shopping for another. If he didn't have results from some tests, I'd be walking out about now.
    Post edited by WhatYouTaughtMe on
  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    im a waiting son of a bitch. I can wait all fuckin g day & barely give a dar n. sure i'll be jammed up & like 'wtf dude'

    i'll go fibd

    i'll go find a bed or a urinal or a zebra or a monkey or a file or a filing cabinet or a picture or a wheel or a piece of foam or a light or a string or sting the guy
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."

    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    speaking of waiting around awhile ... look up 'carlos hathcock'
    he was a marine sniper In Vietnam. hid for days w/out moving. sometimes crawled moving ahead like a caterpillar pretending to be a bush
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."

    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • Sprunkn7Sprunkn7 Posts: 5,286
    To answer the ? is yes, an hour is too long to wait without anyone telling you there is an issue.

    I work in a drs office and we are extremely conscience of what time a pt came in and how the time flow is going. As the assistant that is a huge part of my job. Making sure people are taken car of in a timely manner otherwise the Doc would be in a room yapping all day with them. We're pretty good but sometimes there is an emergency or a person that has a lot of questions. We get a lot of bleeding people and that can be a problem. I let people know if there is an excessive delay or if he is running behind we tell them that when they check in. If someone comes to our front desk and say they are waiting too long and have to leave we buzz the dr and tell them. They usually come right to a room and start the visit. However they will not "skimp" on care because of a time constraint. After 12 years I have had one person follow through and leave.

    On the other side of the fence...patients can be very difficult especially when they don't feel well or are nervous. People walk in 20 minutes late then ask if he is running on time. I tell them we will do our best but he is seeing patients that have a scheduled appointment and we will fit them in. They look at me like I have three heads...They were late and we would not refuse anyone an appointment but people can be rude, pushy and try to bully their way into getting what they want...happens everyday.
    It works both ways. being nice to patients is a priority but sometimes it's a real challenge. We charge a no show if it's habitual ($35)...I think that's fair. Our office bends over backwards but most in our building don't...patients love us because of it :-)

    Thank you fellow 10 clubber for saving my ass....again!!!
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