Posted by Hate to wait 30+ minutes at your doctor’s appointment? There’s usually a good reason for it if you do.
A 2018 study on outpatient office wait times looked at more than 21 million visits over various specialities, and the conclusion was this: 17% had a wait time longer than 20 minutes, 10% longer than 30 minutes, and 5% over 45 minutes (Oostrom et al). There’s a solid chance you’ve been one of these patients.
Your time as the patient is absolutely valuable. You have groceries to buy, kids to pick up, a parent who needs their medication filled, a 2:00 meeting about your next work project, or a lunch date with your friend you’ve not seen in 6 months. As the clinician, we get it. Promise. Here is what you don’t see, and what we sometimes cannot tell you…
The patient before you just lost their husband to colon cancer.
The patient before you has postpartum depression and is frightened of her feelings.
The patient before you has newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes and has no idea what the difference is between carbs and proteins and fats.
The patient before you just lost custody of his children and is completely heartbroken.
The patient before you hasn’t stepped foot in a medical office in 30 years (it happens, I swear) and needs a lot of topics covered.
The patient before you just relapsed on heroin after 11 months, and their hope of sustained recovery is nearly lost.
Every patient matters, but some take more than a few minutes to address.
Your allotted appointment time is normally around 15 minutes. That includes the nurse getting your vitals, rooming you, and writing your concerns down. Those concerns, in most offices, are normally limited to 3 in number. This can be frustrating to some patients, because for the approximate $150 visit*, you expect to get your money’s worth. Understandable. Again, your time and money are valuable. Those three problems could be as simple as a funny looking mole or seasonal allergies, and as complex as new onset depression or a few episodes of chest pain this week.
Personally, I find it difficult to just focus on a certain number of complaints for the patient. While the patient is there, they may have a large amount of questions pertaining to their diabetes they’re really trying to control with diet, or their shortness of breath, or their poor sleep and what to do about it. As a PA who finds patient education the #1 priority at each visit, I will spend extra time ensuring you leave my office with peace of mind or at least a plan of action that you can understand, and more importantly, follow. I write lists for you. I write down foods you should avoid. I write down how to change your medication dose over the next 30 days. I do this because it’s imperative to your success as a patient and my success as your medical guide. Do I love that in reality I have 8 minutes to do this? Absolutely not. So I may take 45 minutes to address your concerns because you matter. And your concerns matter. These concerns may be keeping you awake at night. These concerns may pertain to the same issues your now late mother dealt with. You’re afraid of what you don’t know and what you don’t understand. That’s what I’m here for. To calm your qualms. To debunk the myths you thought you knew about vaccines or mammograms or colonoscopies. To ease your mind that the ugly mole on your arm is just a skin tag.
This is my job. Some days, no lie, I’m 90 minutes behind (but thankfully, not often). I hate that my patients have to wait on me. But I love knowing that each patient leaves their exam room more informed, more at ease, and more fulfilled. If I make you late to a commitment, I’m truly sorry. But the patient who now knows their lung nodule isn’t cancerous and the patient whose depression medication is finally working, they thank you for your patience. And I do, too.
*Billed cost of office visits vary due to many factors such as appointment type, the state in which you live, and your type of insurance.
Reference:
Oostrum et al. Outpatient office wait times and quality of care for medicaid patients. Health Aff (Millwood). 2018 May 1; 36 (5): 826-832. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5812017/
Piece of Mind 