Current Events > Why do doctors' offices get away with being so impunctual?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I have literally never had an appointment at X time start at X time.

Hell, I've never had an appointment at X time start fifteen minutes after X time.

My appointment was 40 minutes ago and they haven't even put me in a room to wait half an hour there yet.

---

Other patients earlier in the day are late and it creates a compounding effect of lateness
---

Try billing them for your time.
---

When your whole business is based on people actually showing up on time the scheduling gets really fucked up.
---

DevsBro posted...

I have literally never had an appointment at X time start at X time.

Hell, I've never had an appointment at X time start fifteen minutes after X time.

My appointment was 40 minutes ago and they haven't even put me in a room to wait half an hour there yet.

Dude I had an appointment with one of my docs that was supposed to be at 2:30pm. They got me into a room around 3. Doc didn't show up till 5. Ridiculous.
---

It's because they're scheduled too frequently. I had a doctor that I eventually switched out of because her office scheduled people in 15 minute intervals and by the time the afternoon rolled around she was consistently a solid two hours behind schedule. The problem is is that if they schedule once every half hour, and leave gaps for if things are running late, that basically cuts their profit in half.

Although in this particular case I also sat there for a half hour as the very first appointment of the day and watched the doctor stroll in late, so maybe some doctors just have awful time management and get away with it.

---

I always set my appointment to be the first appointment of the day to avoid this.
---

My dad's doctor is always on time for our appointments. I don't have this problem. However, we're usually there around 8:30 in the morning before people muck up the queue.
---

I noticed that with the Manhattan doctors, I get seen very quickly, less than 10 minute wait.

The worst was my pediatric doctor in Brooklyn, there used to be about 30 people waiting every time and I would never get out of there in less than 2 hours.
---

Orchestrion posted...

Other patients earlier in the day are late and it creates a compounding effect of lateness

I thought it was this until one time I was the first person scheduled in the day and it was still 30 minutes late
---

ya that bugs me too when they dont respect my time. i found a family general practitioner that keeps it tight which is nice.

my wife recently broke her ankle and i have to take her to this ridiculous old man who pretty much tells everyone to come in at 7pm for appointments and its a fucking circus. he likes to shuffle around and chit chat with everyone about nonsense crap while 30 people are sitting in the waiting room with broken shit...
---

brandunh11 posted...

I always set my appointment to be the first appointment of the day to avoid this.

I do this, right after lunch, or late afternoon.

---

Orchestrion posted...

Other patients earlier in the day are late and it creates a compounding effect of lateness

---

It's hard to believe they can have accumulated almost an hour now of lateness by nine in the morning without just canceling somebody's appointment.

---

Yeah, I try to just go as early as they let me so I'm the first one in or at least don't have too many people ahead of me to knock the timing off too badly.

I had to get allergy shots every week as a kid and didn't even need to see a doctor for those, just walk in, sit down, nurse does shot, I get a sticker, and leave but even just getting back to do that would take forever usually.

Of course that was "forever" in little kid time.
---

Imagine if healthcare was free, you think anything would run on time?

Well I'm in a room now.

No cell phone use beyond this point

Heh

---

As someone who used to do clinic

The answer is:

1) People show up late and fuck up everything
2) 15 minute timeslots for 30+ minute evaluations
3) Procedures
4) Paperwork


---

Well at least the actual visit was quick. Nurse practicioner for about 10 min, doc for about 1.

lol

---

It's not the doctor's fault that many patients are always like


---

Orchestrion posted...

Other patients earlier in the day are late and it creates a compounding effect of lateness

This is not the reason I don't think.

You forget that some patients have minimal issues and get out quicker.
Also first appointment of the day is delayed as well.

The real reason I think is they fit people in between slots.

Like you can call office and ask for appoimtment and they say all booked this month.

Then you go, but blood is oozin out of my ear or something like that...ok probably not as major as that or they send you to ER, but basically say you need to get in.

So they say we wilk work you in.

Aka, between the 8:30 and 9 am guy, they gonna see this guy. So 9 am guy gets delayed.

Also someone calls in the office etc.

I don't mind the waiting so much, but I've had 2 doctors pop in the room and go "why are you here?". I don't know why that irks me but like read the fucking chart.

---

Ranting Nord posted...

I don't mind the waiting so much, but I've had 2 doctors pop in the room and go "why are you here?". I don't know why that irks me but like read the fucking chart.

In fairness, this has actually helped before.

Earlier this year, I had a doc come in and ask what I was there for, and when I told him, he was like "huh, we had you down for a med check."

"I don't even take anything but an OTC Vitamin B pill."

"... Yeah, you're right."

So I got my physical like I had planned on lol.

---

I worked at a doctor's office and learned a lot about doctors. The are a lot of scumbags imo. Your health is just a business to them

The more full they can keep their schedule, the more money they make.

When a doctor says they'll refer you to a really good specialist? It's their buddy. They get sent patients from that person too, which means more money.

When a doctor has a meeting with other doctors? It's all politics related to who will refer to who.

When a surgeon says you need surgery? You probably could solve this with any number of lifestyle changes, but that doesn't make the surgeon any money
---