Doctor Appointments

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Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Unfortunately the best schedule is often broken by noon. We have this problem in our biz, too. The later in the day you book the less likely we will be on time.

No one to blame here, it's just the way people to people biz works. Most doctors are trying hard to see more patients to make some money. Their overhead is considerable, if you ran a business you would understand this issue.

You can't blame the doctors for the state of medicine in this country...

Exactly. And its not like you have no choices.....find another practice. they exist.
 
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Our family doctor of 20 years told me since the small clinic he works at was acquired by a big medical conglomerate, they all get scheduled for 10 minutes per patient. He often runs over, because that is inadequate for anything more than a simple inoculation or med check. He is mulling early retirement because he feels like he is short changing patients.
 
Originally Posted By: Inspecktor
Our family doctor of 20 years told me since the small clinic he works at was acquired by a big medical conglomerate, they all get scheduled for 10 minutes per patient. He often runs over, because that is inadequate for anything more than a simple inoculation or med check. He is mulling early retirement because he feels like he is short changing patients.


He sounds like a doctor that actually cares. Good for him.
 
Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Unfortunately the best schedule is often broken by noon. We have this problem in our biz, too. The later in the day you book the less likely we will be on time.

No one to blame here, it's just the way people to people biz works. Most doctors are trying hard to see more patients to make some money. Their overhead is considerable, if you ran a business you would understand this issue.

You can't blame the doctors for the state of medicine in this country...

Exactly. And its not like you have no choices.....find another practice. they exist.


Wife and I have been to many doctors through the years. They are all about the same with only very little variance. When choices make no difference in facilities keeping scheduled appointment times, then the entire system is a sham.
 
If you've ever paid out of pocket for your procedures to a practice that does do insurance, either here or in other countries, it is not like this.
But it sounds like andrewg has figured out how to fix the entire healthcare system, if only the hospitals would listen to him.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg

Wife and I have been to many doctors through the years. They are all about the same with only very little variance. When choices make no difference in facilities keeping scheduled appointment times, then the entire system is a sham.

Yea..to bad. We do our medical stubb with PSU/Hershey Medical center. They have many local offices that operate all the sam...I guess I am spoiled.
 
I don't think that my internest takes appointments unless it's for a check-up. Think about it: If you are sick he has to see you today. If not, the sick people will bump you anyway.

Don't think that there's much excuse for specialists. In that case it's ego. The doctor likes to see a room full of people waiting for the laying on of hands.
 
My Doctor is part of a group that works out of one office.
They close at 5 PM,I always make my appointment for 4:30 PM.
They rarely make me wait more then 5 or 10 minutes because everyone wants to go home at 5.
 
Yeah, I don't know. Life's too short to get bent out of shape over something like this. You know it is going to happen, plan accordingly.
 
My eye doctor was the worst for that; usually he was two hours behind. Of course, I was a kid when that was usually happening, and kids are known for their patience.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: marine65
My Doctor is part of a group that works out of one office.
They close at 5 PM,I always make my appointment for 4:30 PM.
They rarely make me wait more then 5 or 10 minutes because everyone wants to go home at 5.


That's smart.
 
Originally Posted By: HM12460
Yeah, I don't know. Life's too short to get bent out of shape over something like this. You know it is going to happen, plan accordingly.


We do plan on it being a PITA. But, we have grown tired of it. And yes, you are right about life being short. That's actually why we hate WASTING it sitting in a waiting room 45 minutes PAST our scheduled appointment time.

After reading all these posts I now realize why it's not changed.
 
Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Unfortunately the best schedule is often broken by noon. We have this problem in our biz, too. The later in the day you book the less likely we will be on time.

No one to blame here, it's just the way people to people biz works. Most doctors are trying hard to see more patients to make some money. Their overhead is considerable, if you ran a business you would understand this issue.

You can't blame the doctors for the state of medicine in this country...


I think you need to separate doctors from the business because your statement isn't right.


Hey it IS a business! The Doctor didn't go to med school and incur a mountain of debt to work for free. And no one anywhere has the right to the services of another, that's slavery.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Unfortunately the best schedule is often broken by noon. We have this problem in our biz, too. The later in the day you book the less likely we will be on time.

No one to blame here, it's just the way people to people biz works. Most doctors are trying hard to see more patients to make some money. Their overhead is considerable, if you ran a business you would understand this issue.

You can't blame the doctors for the state of medicine in this country...


I think you need to separate doctors from the business because your statement isn't right.


Hey it IS a business! The Doctor didn't go to med school and incur a mountain of debt to work for free. And no one anywhere has the right to the services of another, that's slavery.


While it is a business...it's also a fact that most doctors offices DO NOT treat the CUSTOMER like most businesses do. Trying to cloak the poor doctor as some hard working samaritan who just trying to scrape a few nickles together is a misnomer. If it WAS ran like a REAL business then he/she would care about about making people wait FAR past appointed/scheduled visit times. Most businesses operated that way would fail....and SHOULD fail.
Is that how you run a business? You treat the customer like a doctor visit?
 
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Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Unfortunately the best schedule is often broken by noon. We have this problem in our biz, too. The later in the day you book the less likely we will be on time.

No one to blame here, it's just the way people to people biz works. Most doctors are trying hard to see more patients to make some money. Their overhead is considerable, if you ran a business you would understand this issue.

You can't blame the doctors for the state of medicine in this country...


I think you need to separate doctors from the business because your statement isn't right.


Hey it IS a business! The Doctor didn't go to med school and incur a mountain of debt to work for free. And no one anywhere has the right to the services of another, that's slavery.


While it is a business...it's also a fact that most doctors offices DO NOT treat the CUSTOMER like most businesses do. Trying to cloak the poor doctor as some hard working samaritan who just trying to scrape a few nickles together is a misnomer. If it WAS ran like a REAL business then he/she would care about about making people wait FAR past appointed/scheduled visit times. Most businesses operated that way would fail....and SHOULD fail.
Is that how you run a business? You treat the customer like a doctor visit?



My wife is an OT and we have Nurses, Doctors, etc. in our extended family. I personally work for a ton of Doctors.

The fact that you were mistreated in your opinion by a single Doctor is hardly indicative of ALL Doctors. My dermatologist opens at 6 AM and serves you like no other! She can do more in ten minutes than many Doctors do in several visits. She is not typical, just an example of the other side of this argument. 6 AM! Who ever heard of such a thing?

Overhead is HUGE for Doctors. And now you have the move towards .gov running your healthcare, which is attempting to enslave medical personnel to work for less/free. Many docs live rather modestly, only a few have the large homes and fancy cars. Indicting all Doctors just because you had a bad experience is unbalanced and not indicative of anything except your ability to jump to a false conclusion. Your bias is considerable as well here...
 
Originally Posted By: rollinpete
Used to happen to me all the time...Now I try and make my appointments early in the morning around 8am to 9am doesn't happen anymore...



That's the ticket, if you can work in your schedule. (I can and do so).
 
SteveSRT8,
"Mistreated in your opinion by a SINGLE doctor"? Boy, don't know where you got the idea that it's a single doctor. Did you read my posts....or everyone else that is treated the same way when it comes to appointment times?? Yes, somewhere out there (as indicated by your dermatologist) receptions may exist...but that isn't the norm.
Bias...on MY part? Bias for what? That my experiences with doctors in the past 30 plus years has only gotten worse? That they almost ALWAYS never see you when you've made the effort to be on time....yet if YOU dare miss an appointment or are late they threaten to CHARGE you? No bias on my part. I'm purely reacting to experiences. Apparently, so is everybody else who has posted. The only difference being is that most have some reason to think that this should be tolerated. It SHOULD NOT. And if everybody would hold these offices as accountable as they do it's patients...then it would change. The bias is 100% clear on your part. You've got family and reputations you are trying to defend that is part of this. I don't.
False conclusion? My rear end.
 
Schedule appointment first thing in the morning at 9 AM so you don't have to wait.

I rarely go to doctor but I always go early in the morning.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Schedule appointment first thing in the morning at 9 AM so you don't have to wait.

I rarely go to doctor but I always go early in the morning.


I will if at all possible. The difficult part of that is getting adequate sleep as I work late and often don't get to sleep until 1:00 am. It's not very fun losing sleep because a doctor can't keep appointment times.....but it's about the only alternative at this point. My wife though must visit the doctor at it's worst times (after her work). A 3:00 pm appointment will often mean the doctor will see her 45 minutes to an hour or more late. Then...if she needs to stop and pickup a prescription, she might not get home until 5:30-6:00. Long day when she gets up at 3:30am just to get to work on time.
 
andrewg, tell us what you are going to do about this situation. You admit that the "entire system is a sham". You state that you are "tired of it" and you portray that it is creating unhealthy stress for you.

I see at least 6 alternatives, maybe others can suggest more:

- Do nothing.

- Do something:
-- Communicate with your doctors office and attempt to have them to accommodate your needs/wants.
-- Search out a doctors office that meets your needs.
-- Become proactive and pursue changes. Contact your government representatives, organize groups (power in numbers), become a lobbyist, educate others, etc..
-- Change your work style/lifestyle to better fit your needs/wants
-- Accept the current condition and attempt to make it work the best possible. Already suggested to do work or pleasure during the wait: laptop, smartphone, chill/relax, etc..
 
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