Introduction

Reviews

Does Your Doctor Keep You Waiting Too Long?

Timothy B. McCall, M.D.

Surveys of patients show that the single biggest determinant of their satisfaction with medical care is the amount of time spent in the doctor's waiting room. A long wait can a signal that a doctor is overcommitted or disorganized. Consistently long waits can also reflect a clinic’s or doctor’s lack of respect for your time. They may space appointments so tightly, in an effort to maximize the doctor’s efficiency, that delays are inevitable.

Remember, though, a well-organized doctor can fall behind schedule because he or she has wedged someone with an emergency into an already full schedule or has spent longer than anticipated with a patient who had an emotional reaction to a diagnosis—considerations you yourself might want some day. My recommendation is to judge quality more by what happens while you're with the doctor. A doctor who makes the effort to carefully probe your concerns and to explain things well may be worth the wait. But if you wait an hour for a five minute appointment that feels like a pit stop at the Indianapolis 500—you've got a right to be angry.

Since delays in a doctor’s schedule are routine, planning for them is often the best approach. You may want to consider some of the following strategies:

• Call ahead. Before leaving for your appointment, it’s not a bad idea to call the clinic to find out if the doctor is behind schedule and if so, when you might reasonably expect to be seen.
• Speak with the receptionist. As soon as you arrive for your appointment, ask again if the doctor is running late. Tell the receptionist how long you’re able to stay. Courteous receptionists will routinely inform patients if the doctor is behind schedule.
• Schedule the first appointment of the day. The earlier in the day you see the doctor, the less chance there is for other things to have put the doctor behind schedule. This method is not foolproof since doctors often visit hospitalized patients before their office hours and can be delayed. Scheduling the first appointment after lunch also decreases the odds of a long wait.
• Bring something to read or do. Despite your best efforts, you may have to wait. Perhaps it seems obvious, but it’s a good idea to bring something to do or to read. Ideally, read something about your medical problems while you wait, so you can ask better questions when you’re with the doctor.
• Review your list of questions. If you’ve prepared for your doctor’s visit, you may have jotted down a few questions you want to be sure to have covered. While you’re waiting, take out the list and review it. Think of whether there’s anything else you want to cover. Be realistic though. All doctors are busy and time isn’t unlimited. Try to concentrate on the most important things and be sure to bring them up early in your visit.
• If you’re doctor consistently keeps you waiting a long time, consider switching to one who doesn’t. You’ve got to decide whether the care the doctor gives you is good enough to justify the wait. If it isn’t, then switch. After you’ve done so, write your doctor or your health plan and tell them why. If enough people do so, they’ll get the message.

Next: Does Your Doctor Know How to Talk to You?

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