Wasted MY time?

[Laura's Babies]

I had an 1:00 appointment at the eye doctor today. I arrived there at 12:30 to make sure I had plenty of check in time. I was the only person in the waiting area that 2 doctors share when I arrived. At 1:00, they started calling the other doctors people to the back, I kept looking at my watch 10 after, 15 after, 20 after, 25 after and I was getting PO'ed.... At 1:30 I went up to the desk and asked how much longer would it be, that I had another appointment at 2:00 somewhere else and needed to get out of there..

10 minutes go by before they call me to the back so that makes my appointment 40 minutes late with NO explanation of why.. When she got me back there and went to explaning the 3 tests they wanted to do on my eyes today day, I asked her how long it would take and told her I had another appointment somewhere else and needed to really be going on my way to that one....

I am just so outdone, so upset that MY time was wasted like that. I really didn't have another appointment but to me, MY times is just a valueable as anyone elses and I really think the doctor and his nurse (she arrived in time to call me back there 40 minutes late) just hadn't come back from lunch yet. I set up another appointment but am thinking about cancelling it and finding me another doctor. They moved into a new office and since then, the "service" has gone to pot and now wasting my time like that.

Did I over react? What would you have done?

[critter crazy]

I have been in the same situation, and have changed doctors because of it! It would be okay if there was a reason, but most times there is no reason, and it just makes me mad!!! They make you wait all that time, just to spend 5 mins with you, and shoo you out the door!! I cant tolerate this! and I now have a great doc, that is a doll!

[buckner]

Think about how important the doctor is to you. If you can live without them, switch doctors. If not, breathe deep and wait.

I have an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor who I've been going to for almost 17 years. My ENT is AMAZING and he truly is the best in Kentucky. However, if I make an 8am appointment (the first of the morning), it'll be about 8:30am until I'm back there and another 30 minutes until I'm out of the building. He does surgeries, and most of the time, they don't allot enough time. And sometimes, there are emergencies that come up. But, if I make it for the afternoon, there's at LEAST a two hour wait. I once waited 3.5 hours. I had time to complete my Calculus homework, my Psychology homework, and take a nap. Most people would be appalled at waiting that long, but he's worth it. There's no one else like him, and because of that, I'll be more than happy to wait.

So, just weigh everything out. Yes, they're "wasting" your time, but if you plan for it, it's not being wasted. Don't arrive at 12:30 next time. Come in at 10-til or so, sign in, and read a book. Or, if he's not really that good of a doctor, switch. You'll find one that you'd be more than happy to wait for.

Breathe deep!

[Cataholic]

People vote with their feet. I would have left at 130, and told them I would have had to re-schedule. I wouldn't go to a doctor like this.

[Sirrahsim]

I'm right there with you... It is SO annoying..
With the OB/GYN that I am seeing right now I have NEVER waited for less an hour past my appt time. Unfortunately he is the best surgeon in the area so I'm probably going to stick with him anyway since I'm probably having another c-section
I agree with buckner, if this doc is the best stick with her but if she isn't something special I'd say ditch her.

[Freedom]

I HAVE walked out after waiting half an hour. A doc I didn't much care for, I had already started looking to find a replacement. As I recall, I didn't tell them when I left, either. snippy, eh?

I agree with the other comments, if you trust the doc, don't change. However, I would say let them know how upsetting it is. If you don't have a strong bond with the doc, find another.

To me, the only ones who should be allowed the leeway are the surgeons, coming in from surgery (usually it is the morning appts., not always, depends on the surgeon's schedule). Otherwise, I don't see more than 5 or 10 mintues as permissible, and they should APOLOGIZE for being behind schedule.

[catlover4ever]

I've done the same thing. I had a 2:00 appt for an ultrasound/mammogram at 2:30 I got up and asked if I was there on the right day? After another 15 mns, I got up and asked again. By 3 pm the tech finally came out and took me in....busy day with a lot of add on's. I said "Boy it sure does not pay to have an appointment, I should have been an add on". That pi$$ed her right off. I didn't care. I had to leave work early and use vacation time for the appointment....my time is just as valuable...especially when I could have been using that vacation to sip a nice cold drink on the beach.

Laura...you were definately justified.

[Glacier]

I've walked out of my dentist's office before. Told his receptionist that I had better things to do than wait around for him and that I would call to reschedule sometime. Obviously it was a routine app't, not an emergency. He was over an hour late and my time is just as valuable as his, especially since I was missing work to be there.

He called me personally that night at home; apologized profusely and booked me in as his first app't the next morning. Usually takes up to four months to get a non-emergency app't with him.

I don't know if he made some kind of note on my file, but he's never been more than a few minutes late for an appointment with me since!

I think you were perfectly justified!

[Laura's Babies]

I know my PCP spoiled me that I had in Florida... He use to ask all the time how long I had to wait to get called... If it was more than 5 minutes, somebody got chewed on!

I am not bonded with or have a ton a faith in this doctor, in fact I get rather annoyed with him. He only gives me a 30 day supply of medicine that I need for my eyes and tells me to come back next month and everytime you go, he wants TESTS! It is to apparent that they need more income to pay for that new office!

That being said, I know he was still out to lunch and not even there. His nurse wasn't there until she grabbed my file and called me to the back either. I was there for over a hour and saw neither of them until she came to get my chart. I think he still wasn't there and he would have shown up sometime while the tests were being done on my eyes.

[Cataholic]

I don't see 30 clients a day, of course. BUT, if I am running late, I certainly do not take a lunch. I might take a bite, chew, and walk into the meeting, but, I eat lunch after the meeting. I do not keep people waiting. There are exceptions, I might be on a teleconference, or just a long winded phone call (not of my doing), but, everyone's time is important. I am never more than a few minutes late, and that is rare. Course, I do have clients that walk in fifteen minutes late on occasion.

[Pam]

I see this sort of thing occasionally. First of all, I think that no one really expects to be taken on time at any medical office. I know that whether I am seeing my primary doctor or a specialist I always come prepared with a book.

I work for an ophthalmologist (and have been with him 12 years) and we really do try to keep on schedule. In the course of any particular day there will be an emergency or two or even more. It creates havoc with the schedule but for the most part the patients understand that, should they have a similar situation, they would be given the same consideration as those who have been *fit in.*

I can tell you from experience that what they are doing "back there" most of the time is a big bunch of NOTHING.

I can tell you that you are definitely not describing my office. For example, if someone doesn't appear to be working at a particular moment in my office it may be because they are waiting for instructions from the doctor as to what testing to perform next or any number of things. Most doctors would not tolerate the kind of behavior that you are speaking of.

As others have said, if you really like and respect your current doctor it might be a good idea to bite the bullet and endure the wait. If you have a doctor that is constantly running excessively late I agree that it might be time to find another.

[Pam]

if I am running late, I certainly do not take a lunch.

If we are running behind my boss never stops for lunch. We tease him sometimes that we should hook up an IV for him so he can get some nourishment on those long days. We have three techs and three office people where I work. We all stagger our lunches so that there is always ample coverage and the office runs smoothly all day long.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I do not expect to wait. Of course I have something to read (don't leave home without it...) but a wait of over 15 minutes is unnecessary. I am on time. I would expect if I was over 15 minutes late the doctor would reschedule me. I expect the same consideration.

If a doctor's office is running late or has emergencies that occur, then should call those with appointments and tell them so they can schedule accordingly.

I am a customer of the doctor's office and should be treated as such. I cannot imagine most people would return to a service provider (hairdresser, etc) who made them wait an hour.

[Cinder & Smoke]

I've done three Hoppsbittle Visits, and multiple "Office Visits" to determine >>>
EVERYone in the Medical Professions, *especially* Doctors, operate on a
different Time Zone than the rest of the world ... called "Doctor's Standard Time" or "DST".

DST runs about a minimum of One Hour BEHIND regular time -
and can be as much as 8 hours BEHIND what YOUR watch says!

So, when YOU're sitting in the Doc's Office at 8:45 AM for your 9:00 AM "appointment" ...
Ole Doc is sitting in his KITCHEN at HOME sippin cawfee #2 when he checks his
Doctor's Time watch ... "7:45 ... better take my shower an over to the office" ...

He shows up at the office at 8:45 HIS time ... YOU've been there an hour already!
Doc gets a fresh kawfee and checks his messages ... jots a note to call 'em back - after lunch.
Quick scan of the paper ... check watch ... 9:15 (Doctor's Time) ... Oooooh-Kay ...
Let's go see our first appointment ... "ONLY" an Hour & 15 LATE!

Put that same Doc on rounds in the Hospital ... and the "time warp" between Regular Time
and DST stretches out to 4, 5, 6, 8 Hours!
"Oh, I had an 'emergency'" or "I got called for a consult". ...



/s/ ex-Patient Phred

[kuhio98]

I always try to be the first appointment of the day. That way, they can't be too backed up yet.

My sister once waited 45 minutes for her dentist. He breezed in the front door in his exercise clothes. Seems, he had to get his workout in before seeing her. She got up and left and never went back.