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.

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!

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.

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!

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....

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

After waiting more than 2 hours -- more than once! -- I convinced mother to find another cardiologist.  She still tells anyone who will listen that she loved Dr. X like a son and wishes he didn't work so hard but that she just couldn't wait for him.  (Everyone in the clinic knows that he's a good, caring doctor who has so many ex-wives that he has to work night and day just to pay his alimony and child support.  I think he's the one who needed to see a doctor! )

LOL womaninwaiting!  That was funny!

Thankfully for me, MOM is the one who takes Granny to most of her medical appointments. The first (and last) time I did, what an ordeal!

I asked Granny if this was the right entrance, she said yes. I dropped her off and parked...she then decided it was the wrong entrance and had me walk around the entire building....She still kept insisting it was the wrong entrance (the only others were main; then Pediatrics; then Receiving). I finally had to go in and ask....yep, it was the right entrance.

Thankfully, the nurse told me how long the test would be. So I just went shopping and came back an hour later.

That's what I did, I found a new doctor.  I have never waited more than 5 minutes to see him.

Wow!  Five minues!  That's really amazing!  Do you feel like this doc spends time with you or rushes in and rushes out?  I've, unfortunately, found that docs who rush tend to be on time.  I wish I could just find one that strikes the balance between an acceptable wait with an appropriate amount of time allotted for care.

He is very personable and he does not act rushed like some of them I have been to.  He is in Portland, Maine

That's so great!  Sounds like he's a keeper!

I so hear you. My mother was getting all her medical care in a clinic in Woodland, CA. She lives 1.25 hours away. I live one hour away from her. I used to take her once a month for her Coumadin appt. So that was one hour to her apt., one hour and fifteen minutes to the doc, lunch or dinner, one hour and fifteen minutes back to her apt. and then one hour back to my house. I had told her that I would give her until June and then I was going to find her a doc in her own home town (literally right across the street from where she lives) She cried and said the folks in Woodland were like family and I had to be gentle and explain that I was doing this for me not against her. It was too hard for me to make these trips. She went one more time with her caregiver and I made an appt. with a new doc across the street. So far so good. No long waits, and if we do have to reschedule for later its no big deal. I agree that waiting is a bore. I always bring a magazine or books to read. I usually go over her check book to make sure she is on track. Then we discuss the rest of the errands for the day. Mom is a people person and loves to talk so she usually strikes up a conversation. Try bringing a few pictures from you past and start labeling them. You would be amazed at the things they can remember from the past but can't remember last week.

Baring an emergency no doctor has the right to make a patient wait that long. It's poor management on the part of those who run the office. I have been told to call before I leave home to find out if the doctor is running late. If a doctor regularly takes 30 minutes per patient then his schedule should reflect this and appointments should be scheduled 30 minutes apart and not 15 minutes! When there is an emergency it is only the decent thing to do to inform all in the waiting room and to offer to reschedule. I have changed doctors when I find they are always behind their schedule and when I leave one doctor's practice I write him or her a letter explaining why! My time is valuable too and when I am not feeling well the last thing I want to do is sit in a doctor's waiting room. I prefer to go home to bed!

I wait 20 minutes and then reschedule. If they say they're ready to take me (which is a stall tactic... then you wait adnauseum in another room instead), I sweetly reply that I have another commitment and will have to reschedule. When they tell me how the doctor was tied up (fill in the blank), I nod sympathetically and sweetly stress the fact that I understand and I'm not upset, I'll just see him next time!! Do this a couple times and wath how their handling (or mishandling) of you improves. Works like a charm for me. I'd have a hyper active son and a daughter 3 yrs his junior I'd be trying to handle, so if you couldn't see me within 20 minutes of our committed appointment time, I wasn't about to wait an eternity.

God I am lucky at my medical practise there is minimal waiting time,there is a system where you turn up at the clinic at 8.30 am and you have 6 doctors to choose from you,either get a appointment for within a half an hour( worst option )or for later in the day so you can return ,but usually it is just a 10 minute wait . But I did used to have to go to a one Doctor practise.and sit in a full surgery.and wait up to 2 hours , No option, Awful !

I always carry certain things in my purse for waits anywhere but especially doctor's offices. I keep a book. A deck of cards to play gin or rummy, or blackjack, go fish, whatever! I keep a hand-held electronic game of either sudoku, blackjack, slots, poker, etc. Sometimes I even carry a logic puzzle book, crosswords, word search, or sodoku, and of course a pen but I'm sure you could easily find one in a waiting room at the doctor's office. These are all things I can do with my boyfriend while we wait to see the doctor or than I can do by myself while he's in surgery or if he falls asleep during those long chemo days.

Why should patients sit in "Waiting Room?" The very name has a negative connotation. A better name would be a "Reception Area." Patients don't like to wait to get to see physicians. If a medical office realizes this and works to reduce wait times, then that and physician (assuming the doctor is competent) will have much happier patients. One of the primary considerations for physicians and staff personnel should be to respect patient's time. A physician I know, who is in solo practice in California, treats many Medicare patients. He reviews "wait times" once a week with office personnel. He allocates time so he can give each senior time needed to discuss his/her concerns. He also builds in slack time to act as a buffer when visits run over scheduled time. Prior to an office visit, patients register on-line and complete confidential history and symptom complaint information at a private site. This reduces wait time of filling out paper forms in the office. When patients arrive at office, the staff scans insurance cards and payment cards and verify registration data. The receptionist notes arrival times and moves most patients to treatment rooms within 15 minutes. During time in the reception area and in rooms, patients can watch a slide program of vacation sites around the world or read up-to-date magazines (isn't that novel!) In the patient room, he enters patient history, diagnosis and treatment data in a tablet PC that he transmits directly to a central computer record file to help reduce his charting time. As a patient leaves he/she receives a summary of visit information and insurance details that the patient can carry with him/her and a relative or care-giver can interpret. The doctor usually faxes prescriptions directly to a pharmacies to speed filling time and to eliminate standing around at the drug store. He may also utilize a pharmacy that delivers prescriptions to the patient's door. Additionally, by using his time more effectively, he has more time to spend with patients discussing their concerns, evaluating possible diseases and providing counsel and education to help older patients and their relatives to better comply with treatment recommendations. This solo practice has built a loyal, enthusiastic patient following and this doctor frequently receives glowing compliments from his many satisfied patients. So, it pays to search for a competent physician; one who puts patients first by respecting their time and by providing clear, understandable information seniors and care-givers can use.

I have had it with long waits too. I feel like sending the doctors a bill for the waiting time. This may sound humorous but I think if we all did this things might change.

But for now I call the doctors office before the appointment and see how far behind they are running. Based on what she tells me, I tell the receptionist the exact time we arrive and to please add our name to the sign in sheet. Because I am dealing with a wheelchair patient they are usually very accommodating and it reduces our wait tremendously.

I try to make my appointment for early morning.

While I really hate long waits, I know my doc is LISTENING to his patients. Not just the 5 minutes and rush you out thing.

the trouble with people?they are lazy they will not live a heathy life they just want pills to do it and the doctor to precribe them. get off you bottoms exercise, eat healthy foods look after your own bodies and health you know me I am the freak who has lived seven years with stomach cancer self treated supervised by by doctors not, Treated by them. Yes I am a madman I am told that many times . Will go for my regular scan next week and decide from that what I will allow them to do. I is called self control they keep predicting fatal affects ,7 years on I am still here

I have trouble being patient, too. I suggest, with a bit of humor, that the doctor may need to pay MY hourly wage for the wait time or reduce Mom's bill by HIS (or HER) hourly income. Yes, scheduling at early times helps, but nearly everyone has this trick. A genuine, "I am off work to bring Mom. Please help me get back in a timely manner, just as your bss would want you to be." OR "The longer the wait, the more uncomfortable Mom will be. That will only make more difficulty for the doctor when seeing her, as she will undoubtedly need more of his time for THAT additional issue. Can you help doctor get through more quickly by working her in as soon as you can? Speak directly to the doctor. Let him know that the waiting room is full of patients asking each other for names of doctors who treat them with mutual respect. Just keep searching and networking for the solutions you need! LOL

I go to clinics- "public care" for much of my care. It is walk in , so sometimes, there is quite a wait. I take a magazine or a book or a notebook to write in or paper to write letters I have been putting off writing. If I go to a private dr and he or she keeps me waiting an hour, I find out why and try again. I find another one if it happens again. My private physician usually sees me within 15 to 20 minutes and that includes sitting in the back. The free or based on income clinic , I wait because the price for my time is right. If I have to pay a big co-pay and insurance, I feel I should not have to wait an hour or two.