How long would you wait...

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
...in a medical professional's waiting room to see them before you'd say something? One time I had to wait almost 4 and a half hours to see my retinal surgeon. When I asked, the answer was that they were triple booked with only two doctors there since one was called away on an emergency. That was the worst, but they always seem to be 1 to 1.5 hours behind appointment schedules. Other doctor's offices are almost as bad. What is it with them?
 

Wow, 4.5 hrs seems insane, you'd think they could have called and rescheduled to later in the day.

The worst for me was being half-nakey at the gyn/onc for an hour, sitting at the end of the exam table waiting.
 
Four hours is a very long wait. But since it was an emergency, I'd forgive that one time. For me, one hour is about the longest I can wait. I will be at the desk asking about the wait time after 30 minutes has passed, but that's just my tolerance level.
 

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"One time I had to wait almost 4 and a half hours to see my retinal surgeon. "
One time while annoying as hell, the why for triple booking would be something I'd ask about. Then if future appointments are needed I'd as if there are days or times that are less busy.
 
I do think waiting more than four hours is an ordeal. Sometimes the unforeseeable does crop up.

A couple years ago I underwent treatment (successful) for throat cancer. Afterwards, I was scheduled for check-ups every three months by the throat specialist who had originally diagnosed the issue. His office is a 90-minute drive from my home, and one time I was within 15 minutes of my destination when I heard my cell-phone ringtone. His office was calling to say the doc had been summoned to the regional hospital to assist with some emergency. My appointment was rescheduled. I drove home.
 
I can understand emergencies and long delays. If youā€˜re told this ahead of time, maybe you can leave. Iā€™ve had that happen.

Iā€™ve thought about a long wait and if it were me in the room being assessed, Iā€™d appreciate that the doctor is treating me the way he needs to. I donā€™t like but donā€™t begrudge the wait either.
 
HoneyNut said:
Wow, 4.5 hrs seems insane, you'd think they could have called and rescheduled to later in the day.

The worst for me was being half-nakey at the gyn/onc for an hour, sitting at the end of the exam table waiting.
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Dressed in a glorified paper towel and freezing to death, I'll bet.......

I love it when they pride themselves on "being on time"......assuming you consider "being on time" being called to the back only 15 minutes after your appointment time and then getting to wait at least another half hour sitting in the exam room.
 
Unfortunately we are often victims to supply and demand! Emergencies do happen, but at other times the receptionist could do a better job of letting patients know if there is a problem. With my ophthalmologist, the office asks you to call a half hour before your appointment to see if the doctor is running on time.
 
If I wait longer than 10-15 minutes it feels like 4 hours. Wouldn't be so bad if they still had magazines or streamed something actually interesting on their TVs.

You're asked not to use the internet on your phones and tablets, but some people do it anyways, and some offices block access. Smart people bring a book. I'm not one of the smart ones. I just sit there and seethe.
 
At one GP doctor's office years ago, I waited 2 hours when the receptionist came out and said that the doctor had left for the day and anyone wanting to re-schedule to come to the window. There was SRO in the waiting room, some left in a huff, including me and I never went back to that doctor. Imagine being so inconsiderate to leave a waiting room full of clients to just take the rest of the day off. I later learned that he was going to one of his kids school functions. He should have known that and not scheduled appointments that afternoon. :mad:
 
debodun said:
...in a medical professional's waiting room to see them before you'd say something? One time I had to wait almost 4 and a half hours to see my retinal surgeon. When I asked, the answer was that they were triple booked with only two doctors there since one was called away on an emergency. That was the worst, but they always seem to be 1 to 1.5 hours behind appointment schedules. Other doctor's offices are almost as bad. What is it with them?
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13 hours was the longest at A&E.. ( emergency room)... I was sent there with a letter from my Doctor to be seen urgently... we got there at 11am... there seemed to be only a few people there in the waiting room, so I didn't think we'd be there long.. at 1.30pm I went and asked how much longer it would be.. she said she had no idea...

.. at 4pm we asked the same question.. still no idea.. usual excuse about it being a Friday and short of Doctors... finally at midnight, they found a bed for me in the ward... and they had to lead me to it by torch light.( this was just 3 years ago ).. so they didn't wake the rest of the sleeping patients.. I was kept in until the following Tuesday..
 
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Murrmurr said:
You're asked not to use the internet on your phones and tablets,
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Why? I can understand them not wanting people talking on their phones, if fact I saw a sign for this a few days ago. What would it matter if youā€™re using the internet? It keeps the patients distracted. I keep reading even when Iā€™m sitting in the office waiting.
 
spectratg said:
Unfortunately we are often victims to supply and demand! Emergencies do happen, but at other times the receptionist could do a better job of letting patients know if there is a problem.
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A little different context, but similar. My daughter works in a Vancouver arts centre where they have classes, exhibitions, concerts, dance performances, etc. My daughter's job is programmer for the music programs. If an instructor is sick, has a fender-bender on the way to work (or something), the programmer has to contact all the individuals (often including young kids' parents) to let them know the class is cancelled. Of course, that takes time, and it's a lot of trouble & sometimes frustration for her ā€” she does it, but it's not easy.
spectratg said:
With my ophthalmologist, the office asks you to call a half hour before your appointment to see if the doctor is running on time.
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That seems like a practical policy or recommendation.
 
I was about 20 and had asked my husband's grandmother for a ride to my doc appointment and to watch my baby while I saw the doctor.

My appt was for 9 A.M. All day long I saw people who came after me come and go and I would try to catch the receptionists eye as she came out and called people in.

Finally about 5 o'clock in the afternoon my feisty grandmother in law came in asking loudly what was going on, poor woman had been stuck at home by the phone baby sitting all day. The receptionist looked at me and said angrily that I couldn't expect to just walk in and see the doctor.

I said I had an appointment, she said I didn't, I whipped out the card they had given me in her handwriting. They must have just failed to write it in their book. I still feel bad about the grandmother.
 
Jules said:
Why? I can understand them not wanting people talking on their phones, if fact I saw a sign for this a few days ago. What would it matter if youā€™re using the internet? It keeps the patients distracted. I keep reading even when Iā€™m sitting in the office waiting.
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They say it interferes with some of their tech machines, like diagnostic and imaging machines and stuff like that.
 
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Della said:
Finally about 5 o'clock in the afternoon my feisty grandmother in law came in asking loudly what was going on, poor woman had been stuck at home by the phone baby sitting all day. The receptionist looked at me and said angrily that I couldn't expect to just walk in and see the doctor.

I said I had an appointment, she said I didn't, I whipped out the card they had given me in her handwriting. They must have just failed to write it in their book. I still feel bad about the grandmother.
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Did the receptionist shrivel up and turn red?
 
debodun said:
At one GP doctor's office years ago, I waited 2 hours when the receptionist came out and said that the doctor had left for the day and anyone wanting to re-schedule to come to the window. There was SRO in the waiting room, some left in a huff, including me and I never went back to that doctor. Imagine being so inconsiderate to leave a waiting room full of clients to just take the rest of the day off. I later learned that he was going to one of his kids school functions. He should have known that and not scheduled appointments that afternoon. :mad:
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Our doctor retired without telling anyone.
 
Murrmurr said:
They say it interferes with some of their tech machines, like diagnostic and imaging machines, and stuff like that.
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Yes... I was told (more than once :oops:) that it could potentially interfere with some of their critical care machinery. I'd think that would be more accurate in a hospital than a doc's office, though.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
I once waited 10 hours and 45 minutes to get blood tests done. I will never do that again. I wonā€™t ever go to an emergency room again unless I break a bone that needs casting.
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One good policy & system at our nearest hospital (fairly small) is that blood work is a total\y separate stream, with a dedicated waiting room and also an adjoining room for chairs, nurses & testing. So you don't wait in a big room in the emergency section. With this system, I usually wait maybe 20 minutes to go in and sit in the chair, and I've never waited more than 45 minutes for a blood test.
 

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