How long is reasonable to wait past your appointment time. I just heard the receptionist tell someone that today was a good day that the doctor was only running 30 minutes behind. She said he always is running behind. This is a popular doctor. She said if the person didn't want to wait as long she could see a different doctor at the practice. Just curious what y'all think. I'm currently 15 minutes and waiting.
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Local Doctors - Waiting time
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Last: 7 yr ago by CCMD
I've waited 4 hrs for a doctor in Navasota. And have waited for St. Joseph doctors a couple of hours. S&W docs are fairly quick. I don't think 30 mins is unreasonable since all patients are unpredictable!
1 hour. Still waiting.
30 min max. Otherwise horrible scheduling by the appointment makers.
Depends why you're seeing him. Is he going to do something for you that any of the other doctors can't do? If you're there for brain surgery or something I'd keep waiting, but if you're there for something common I'd just see whoever's first available.
Hour and a half I'm in. Guess it could have been worse but I can't help to think there must be a better way.
15 minutes. Unless it is a surgeon or OB doc they tend to have more frequent issues that get them off schedule. I know on my patient satisfaction surveys it asks if you were seen within 15 minutes of the appointment time.
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I see a doc who used to run horribly behind. The joke among those who used him at the time was that you had to get one of the earliest appointments in the day because as the day wore on, the later he became. I believe that it was because of his tendency to not run people off, but to spend time with them. However, at the 30 minutes late mark, it gets irritating. Especially when they stuck you in a room, took your vitals and pertinent info then you still continued sitting - just in a different location.
Fast forward to his becoming part of St. Joes (and those constant satisfaction surveys) - They rarely run behind and have added a PA and NP, neither of whom I have a problem seeing because they always consult with him if they have concerns about diagnosis.
Fast forward to his becoming part of St. Joes (and those constant satisfaction surveys) - They rarely run behind and have added a PA and NP, neither of whom I have a problem seeing because they always consult with him if they have concerns about diagnosis.
For a good doctor who does not rush through the appointment, I'd wait 30 minutes every time. and if my wait was 45 or longer, I'd like an apology but then not like to be rushed out the door when it is my turn.
Uhhh yeah, sorry I don't wait very long for doctors to see me. Hate to break it to them, but they're not the only people that have a busy schedule. I shouldn't have to take half a day off just so I can hang out in your waiting room for over an hour so you can see me for 5 mins
Not rushing people is great, but if the doctor spends a lot of time with each patient, they need to keep that in mind when scheduling his patients and spread them out a little better.
I hate it when it's a super long wait.
In a few cases, there is a good reason (my sister used to go to a doctor for her asthma that would fit in emergency cases, and you couldn't really fault him for that, but you could pretty much count on a long wait).
Ob/gyn leaving to deliver a baby is fine, but front office leaving other patients waiting and not rescheduling them (or at least giving that option) isn't.
I hate it when it's a super long wait.
In a few cases, there is a good reason (my sister used to go to a doctor for her asthma that would fit in emergency cases, and you couldn't really fault him for that, but you could pretty much count on a long wait).
Ob/gyn leaving to deliver a baby is fine, but front office leaving other patients waiting and not rescheduling them (or at least giving that option) isn't.
Always schedule your appointments as early as possible. They get behind because some patients issues take longer than whatever time they allotted for each patient when making the appointments.
What that tells you about that doctor is one of two things.
Optimist: He doesn't rush through each patient and he listens to you and makes sure you get the proper treatment.
Pessimist: He schedules too many to make more money, or he's lazy and arrives late and then takes a long lunch.
What that tells you about that doctor is one of two things.
Optimist: He doesn't rush through each patient and he listens to you and makes sure you get the proper treatment.
Pessimist: He schedules too many to make more money, or he's lazy and arrives late and then takes a long lunch.
I always call ahead to see if the doctor is running behind before I leave my home/ office. It still irks me if they are running behind, but at least I'm comfortable or productive.
Before I learned to do this, I once waited for about a half hour and then went up to the receptionist to ask how much longer it would be. She said about another 20 minutes. I asked if she would like me to reschedule and she said no. After another 30 minutes I asked again and she said she still didn't know, so I said I had to reschedule and get back to work. She tried to charge me a cancellation fee and I walked out and found a new doc.
I understand their time is valuable and that they want to be as productive as possible. However, I rarely encounter a doc's administrator that also thanks my time could possibly be valuable.
Before I learned to do this, I once waited for about a half hour and then went up to the receptionist to ask how much longer it would be. She said about another 20 minutes. I asked if she would like me to reschedule and she said no. After another 30 minutes I asked again and she said she still didn't know, so I said I had to reschedule and get back to work. She tried to charge me a cancellation fee and I walked out and found a new doc.
I understand their time is valuable and that they want to be as productive as possible. However, I rarely encounter a doc's administrator that also thanks my time could possibly be valuable.
We usually go to the good to really good doctors. Get there 15 minutes early,and we rarrly go past our appt time.
We use S&W and our family doc is always running late. My wife scheduled her appointment for first thing in the morning and still waited 45 minutes. She was her first of the day. No apology, and no excuse. We are currently looking for other options.
I stopped using S & W Ob/gyn because of the excessive wait time. However, I don't usually wait long at family medicine. I had an appointment at 4 p.m. yesterday, and I was on my way home by 4:30.
I overheard two doctors talking in the locker room at Aerofit one morning; one was saying he had to be in the office by eight o'clock because they star scheduling patients at 7:30. I don't know who it was, but it sounds like he is thirty minutes late before he even starts.
***It's your money, not theIRS! (At least for a little while longer.)
I usually takes at least 10 minutes for them to get vitals and past the check-in process. I still get to the office @ 8 and my first patient is at 8. Why stress out and run behind all day that is odd.taxpreparer said:
I overheard two doctors talking in the locker room at Aerofit one morning; one was saying he had to be in the office by eight o'clock because they star scheduling patients at 7:30. I don't know who it was, but it sounds like he is thirty minutes late before he even starts.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
I agree; odd or rude.KidDoc said:I usually takes at least 10 minutes for them to get vitals and past the check-in process. I still get to the office @ 8 and my first patient is at 8. Why stress out and run behind all day that is odd.taxpreparer said:
I overheard two doctors talking in the locker room at Aerofit one morning; one was saying he had to be in the office by eight o'clock because they star scheduling patients at 7:30. I don't know who it was, but it sounds like he is thirty minutes late before he even starts.
***It's your money, not theIRS! (At least for a little while longer.)
Okay seriously when did "not being inconvenienced" become an inalienable right in our country?
Well, it's not an inalienable right, really. But if a doc has a rule that if you are "x" minutes late for your appointment, (and they should) you have to reschedule and pay for a missed appointment, s/he too, should be held to a reasonable amount of time where you can reschedule without penalty.
It is not their right to hold patients hostage in their waiting rooms (or exam rooms) because they either cannot schedule properly or manage their time. (I'm not talking about situations where they get called away for emergencies, but a habitually late doctor is just that - habitually late.)
It is not their right to hold patients hostage in their waiting rooms (or exam rooms) because they either cannot schedule properly or manage their time. (I'm not talking about situations where they get called away for emergencies, but a habitually late doctor is just that - habitually late.)
As a local doc, I am very conscientious of my patients' time and I try to always run on schedule, to the point of annoying my front office staff if they run behind.
On the other hand, there is hardly a day that goes by that a patient doesn't run 15 or more minutes late. Sometimes they call and sometimes they don't. I try to accommodate for that, within reason because sometimes it's not their fault (flat, waiting for a car wreck, etc). There are many other uncontrollable variables that I won't bore you with.
I will tell you this. If your doctor is habitually behind every time you have an appointment, he/she is not going to change.
On the other hand, there is hardly a day that goes by that a patient doesn't run 15 or more minutes late. Sometimes they call and sometimes they don't. I try to accommodate for that, within reason because sometimes it's not their fault (flat, waiting for a car wreck, etc). There are many other uncontrollable variables that I won't bore you with.
I will tell you this. If your doctor is habitually behind every time you have an appointment, he/she is not going to change.