How do you deal with waits at the doctor's office? posted by Lisa B @ 01:31 PM September 23, 2008

Lisa B — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:31:25 -0000

Oooh, this is a great post! I have a million ideas on how to keep my kids entertained at the doctor's office but hardly any for when I'm waiting with my mom. I agree, specialists seem to be way worse in terms of wait time than general physicians. I recently endured a wait time of over 2 hours at an orthopedic surgeon's office- the waiting room was jam packed and people were scrambling to make sure the elderly had places to sit.

The only tip I have is to request the first appointment of the day OR the first appointment after they re-open after lunch. However, this can't always be arranged, especially when the visit is not one that could have been scheduled or planned ahead of time. So I'll definitely be checking back for ideas!

Lisa

How do you deal with waits at the doctor's office? posted by Karen, Ca. @ 07:06 AM September 20, 2008

Karen, Ca. — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:06:49 -0000

I have approached the office manager/ booking nurse & had a "quiet discussion" with them the first time it's over 30 minutes. The Cardiologist's office is a particular problem. Now, I get that a cardiologist has patients in the hospital, and has "issues" form time to time, just as I appreciate that we were an "issue" at one time. HOWEVER. More than a 60 minute wait, when we have an appointment is unacceptable. Would it be better if we came back another day? Has produced AMAZING results. I'm happy to come back, if you can respect our time then... Surprising, how many office managers will get you right in, if you have to come back. And, it never happens again. So far....

How do you deal with waits at the doctor's office? posted by Missy @ 12:42 PM July 24, 2008

Missy — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:42:18 -0000

There's part of me that says "let's just switch!" At my parents' ENT, we wait for hours. At my daughter's it's a reasonable 20 minutes or so. But my parents won't switch. They're so attached!

I'm definitely going to encourage them to shoot for that first appointment of the morning next time!

How do you deal with waits at the doctor's office? posted by star @ 01:30 AM July 24, 2008

star — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:30:12 -0000

Yes, I do agree. I worked for a specialist. It is usually there that you have the longest wait, short of switching doctors there isn't much recourse.

How do you deal with waits at the doctor's office? posted by Missy @ 12:16 PM July 23, 2008

Missy — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:16:49 -0000

Thanks for the response, star! I appreciate it.

I always wonder if it's worse at specialists. At most family physician's offices, we get in in a reasonable amount fo time. It's the surgeon's, ENT's and neurologist's offices that keep us captive for hours!

How do you deal with waits at the doctor's office? posted by star @ 12:32 AM July 23, 2008

star — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:32:26 -0000

Having worked for a doctor for many years before I became a caregiver, I am all too familiar with overloaded appointment schedules and extreme waits for patients. It is truly sad that doctors overbook so as not to have any empty space in their schedules and line their wallets a bit more. Perhaps if they were the one to have to wait for such a long time, they might change their ways, one never knows. I have taken my clients to the doctor's office many times and generally it is a long wait, then once they are in with the doctor they are out in a short time. Short of keeping a conversation going, keep it away from the "long wait"), or maybe promising them an out to lunch afterwards, the one thing I found was trying to schedule the appointment earlier in the am or first thing in the afternoon before it gets too backed up.

How do you deal with waits at the doctor's office? posted by Missy @ 01:15 PM July 17, 2008

Missy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:15:48 -0000

Yesterday I accompanied my parents to a doctor's appointment and we were waiting for more than 2 hours! When I talked to my mom about it, I was really surprised to learn this is the norm for this doctor and a few others they routinely go too. Unbelievable! I understand that some patients take longer than others. And I appreciate the personal attention we get. However, perhaps this doc needs to have less patients!

I know my dad had a tough time. His legs are painful and it was uncomfortable for him to sit for so long. Unfortunately, he can't stand for any period of time either. I felt kind of stuck!

So I'm wondering, how do you help your loved one deal with long waits in doctor's offices? Is there anything you do to make them more comfortable? How do you keep them entertained (as opposed to hitting other patients up with the ever-popular question "So what's wrong with you?" LOL)?

Thanks in advance!