What would you do?

KariOtt

I went to my 1st apointment with my surgeon today. My scheduled apointment was at 10:30am. My primary care doctor made the apointment over a week ago. As usual I arrived early to fill out the new patient paperwork. At 11:30am I still hadn't been seen or even called back to an exam room. I went to the sign in window and informed the receptionist that I had been waiting over an hour and could I reschedule unless I could be seen in the next 5 minutes. I explained that I had a compression test and ultrasound scheduled at the hosiptal at 1pm and wanted to get something to eat before the tests. She informed me that it would be at least another 30 minutes maybe longer since they were fitting me in stating that my apointment was made yesterday. No I informed her of when my apointment was made and that yesterday was Sunday and they wern't open on the weekends. She rescheduled me for another apointment in 10 days. I was informed that I may have to wait again as long or maybe longer. I went a head and took the apointment and told her to make a note that I had already paid my co-payment for my new apointment. Then I left and got some lunch and then to the hosiptal for my tests. The more I think about it I think I may go back, cancil my new apointment, get my co-payment back and hope I have better luck with a different surgeon.

What do you think? What would you do? Hubby wasn't happy when we left today. He understood why.

anonymouz

Yep, it may have been your first red flag. Never hurts to try an option.

Scully

It's deplorable to be made to wait for an appointment.

I recently went to a specialist - my appointment was made in June and I was to be seen at 3:20 pm on a Friday in September; I wasn't seen until almost 6 pm. By the time I was finished with the doctor, the support staff had already left for the day. The doc was supposed to schedule me for a chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound, and she told me the radiology department would contact me on Monday with my appointment times for the x-ray and ultrasound.

By the following Thursday, I hadn't been contacted with appointment times, so I called the hospital myself and tried to figure out when I was supposed to show up. Turned out there were no requisitions posted in the computer by the doctor. So I had to call the office and leave a message with her nurse and let her know the situation. It took her almost 2 weeks to get back to me, and assure me that the tests had now been ordered and I should be hearing from them within the week to book the appointments. That was 3 weeks ago. So I have to get back on the phone tomorrow and find out what happened with the requisitions again, and see if I can find out when I'm supposed to go for these tests.

Do you want to know what absolutely kills me about this? This institution is where I work. This kind of bungling is a professional embarrassment. Nobody should have to wait three hours to be seen by a physician when they've waited months for their appointment already. You do all the right things - you confirm your appointment, clear your calendar so you can actually go to the appointment, and then they can't even see you at the time you're scheduled. If I showed up 3 hours late to an appointment, they would charge me $75 for being late... because THEIR time is valuable. But can I charge them $75 for the 3 hours I waited or for the 3 hours' worth of parking I had to pay? (yup! I have to pay to park at my place of employment!) or for the wild goose chase I've been on trying to get my follow up done before my next appointment in February? Not on your frikkin' life.

I think I may need to write to the CEO to voice my frustrations. Not that it will do any good; hell, maybe I'll end up having to look for a new job.

As far as your situtation - there's no excuse for being made to wait 90 minutes for a 10:30 am appointment, whether they are "squeezing you in" or not. That's just nuts. Hopefully the next experience will go more smoothly - and I hope you have a receipt for the payment you made today that you're applying to the next appointment.

scary21

Sometimes I have had to wait a long time, but that was because some unforseen thing came up with a patient. If they told you it will be as long or longer next time that is not right. Once you get into the room you will wait some more. So you have to wait 1 1/2 to 2 hours and then wait in the room for 1/2 hour more, that is just so crazy. That doctor has a time management problem IMHO

Sherry

Hortensia

I've had doctors like that. It is not businesslike. I don't mind waiting if there's an emergency, but it shouldn't be routine to wait for hours when you have gone to the trouble to arrive on time.

Fortunately, the office I go to now keeps things moving. I've seldom had to wait more than a few minutes, occasionally as much as a half hour if there is an emergency.

Oubliette

Doctors need to treat their patients like people. Tell your doctor to watch the movie, "The Doctor, with--ironically, William Hurt."

It'll change his life. And if it doesn't he should shoot himself.

likeabird

Unless I had another time constraint (which I usually make sure I don't have if I need to see a Dr), then I would have just waited the extra time to see the Dr and get it done with. You're only going to have to wait again next time.

Punctuality, while a nice thing, has nothing to do with the medical skill of the Dr. In fact I've found that the most punctual ones tend to spend little time with you, don't check you properly (if they do at all), don't listen to you and have even given a misdiagnosis as a result.

Of course, if you have reasons to believe the surgeon is not a good one, definitely chose another one, but don't just base it on the fact he or she isn't punctual.

And always make sure you take plenty of things to do when you go to the Dr. That way the time goes more quickly!

All the best with your surgery. Hope it all works out.

DesirousOfChange

If a physician cannot hire competent staff to handle his "book" (scheduling), how can he be trusted with enough competence to handle your healthcare?

Doc

tenyearsafter

I once mentioned to the staff at a doctor's office that I would be sending them a bill for my time based on a bungled appointment. The look on the receptionist's face was worth the wait! You would have thought I just shat in their waiting room!

jgnat

The very worst was my daughter's pediatric urologist. He was the best in his field in the city. His receptionist booked two appointment times; 9:00 in the morning and 1:00 in the afternoon. The doctor would then see each child in turn from the waiting room.

One day he commented that my daughter looked a little flushed. "Well, yes," I said, "We have been sitting in a hot, crowded waiting room for two hours." His look of befuddlement was priceless. I don't think he had ever given his administration a moment's thought.

Receiving respectful, humane care is a passion of mine. I see many waiting rooms in my future, and I speak up if I am treated like a number, dismissed, or forgotten. We can demand better.

There are things doctors can do to reduce waiting times. They can reduce the number of appointments in a day. The most efficient way of disposing of paperwork, it has been found, is to complete it between patients.

This blogger is well worth the follow: http://runningahospital.blogspot.ca/

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