Average Doctor Wait Time?

I took my mom (age 77 and on oxygen) to the doctor last week. Her appointment was for 10:30. We were finally brought in to the examining room at 1:00pm and the doctor came in at 2pm. She spent about 40 minutes with us, then the nurse came in to show us something, then we were out of there at 3:00pm.

At that appointment, the doctor asked my mom to come back next week and they would give her a pneumonia shot. They told her not to make an appointment - that it would just take a few moments. She had to wait an hour and a half for that shot yesterday because they told her they had to wait for an examining room to put her in for the shot.

I think this is absolutely ridiculous, but according to my mom and the others in the waiting room, this is the norm. And every one of the patients felt it was worth the wait because they loved the doctor so much.

Well I don’t care how much you love your doctor, that doctor needs to be considerate of their patients. To leave elderly folks – on oxygen- waiting for nearly 4 hours, is unacceptable. We didn’t pack a lunch, and you couldn’t leave to get one because who knew when you would be called in. But of course we smelled the Mexican food the staff was having around noon. Arrgh!!

Would it be wrong for me to write a letter to that doctor? My mom doesn’t speak up and hates to make waves, and most likely would not want me to make them either. I’m tempted to write an anonymous letter and enclose a $20 bill asking them to please consider their patients and provide water and snacks for the long wait. And to schedule patients like that – regularly running 2-4 hours behind – is just plain rude.

Thoughts please?

I'd write. Remember: The doctor is your "employees". You hire them to do a GOOD job...and if they do not meet expectations (ie: LONG waiting hours) then tell them in a courteous way, of course. It's way too uncomfortable for your mother...and you! What if you'd had other appointments etc?

Sounds like she overbooks herself...which could mean she's overworked...which could mean her attention to details could be lacking...which could mean patients suffer in the long run.

Dancing dolphin:
I agree with you that such a long wait is just plain unacceptable. That puts patients at risk. What about the one with diabetes?

Do they have a survey or suggestion box?
I'd write a letter!

I agree with you. Routinely making patients wait for 3+ hours shows really bad time management, or overbooking, or something. I'd be sorely tempted to check in, tell the staff they can call you on your cellphone when it looks closer to you getting in, and leave. Heck, at least you could go have lunch.

I left a doctor after showing up at 8 am for an early apppointment and noticing that the waiting room was full. Who does that? The staff admitted that it would be a 3-4 hour wait, and another patient confirmed that it always took her all day to get through an appointment. I start doubting the medical quality of someone's care when the basic movement of patients is so sloppy and inconsiderate.

A friend of mine dealt with her always-late doctor by showing up 2 hours late for her appointments. When the staff protested: "you can't do that," she just shrugged and said maybe he could learn to keep better time.
I'd definitely be tempted to put something in a suggestion box.

Definitely send a letter; and enclose a bill for your time wasted.

If it was to see family doctor, I would expect around 1 hr. or so. But I've been seen by dr. within half an hr.

4 hrs. sounds like something at emergency services where one doesn't use a family doctor and not book an appoint and it's non-urgent/non-life threatening.

The reason why I use the hr. long benchmark is when employees request in advance to schedule a dr.'s appointment. So the employee has to estimate and figure out arrival time at work or when they must leave work.

You're right Dancing Dolphin, water for patients would be nice. Even having a tv on, hooked to a news show...

Heck, 2 days ago, my bank apologized for ignoring me and making me wait 40 min. past my appointment....I got a free Starbuck's coffee from them.

I agree Dolphin, you should write - or speak to the practice manager.

Back in the 70s when I had need of an OB/GYN for pregnancies, I DID frequently wait long periods of time. Eventually I started scheduling for an end of the day appointment, so I didn't have to take so much time away from work.

The attitude of that man's office was "when you're with the doctor we will give you 100% attention, but realize that babies don't always arrive on schedule, so please be understanding if you have to wait." I DID like the man enough to put up with this, he did have a fabulous bedside manner.

But he died (of old age) shortly after my son was born and I've never since had another doctor since who kept me waiting more than 15 minutes. Usually less these days...

So maybe it is just different habits of different docs.

It seems to me the TV in the waiting room is ubiquitous these days, and my current doctor's office always has a self service bar with cookies and coffee or water.

Also, my current doc's office is in the hospital and they have a fantastic coffee shop/cafeteria there. So with a situation like that, at least if one had to wait hours, you could go get a meal and ask the staff to alert you when the doctor is ready -- maybe they even have beepers, I don't know... I DO know of docs located in shopping malls who use beepers.

And the other day when I had to take Steve to the oral surgeon straight from the dentist's office (because he needed a designated driver), and got to a point where I hadn't eaten for 4 hours and needed to -- the staff said I could leave the building as long as they had my cell number...

Bottom line, you should not have to wait like this - without food or water --and worse, smelling food!

DD,
You and your mom's time is as important as the doctor's. Time is a precious element and just because the two of you don't have medical degrees, doesn't mean your lives are unimportant. I agree with the others, write and jack that doctor up a might!

My mom had a doctor like this. Mom loved this doctor because she (the doctor) would take alot of time to make sure Mom had a chance to ask questions, etc., and it sounds like your Mom's doctor also takes considerable time (40 minutes is a lot), but the result is these very long waits. I finally had to change my mom's doctor, despite how much we liked her on a personal basis. For me to take mom there meant not only the long waiting time (3 hours was the norm), but there was my time spent going to get Mom from her assisted living apartment, driving to the doctor's office, driving mom BACk to her apartment and then driving home, so all told, a 20-minute visit actually took more like 5-1/2 hours. My mom wasn't on oxygen but she was diabetic and missing a meal could be a problem. At the time, I had four school-age children and was executor for my dad's estate (which was really complicated because he owned a business), and I was about to tear my hair out. I even wrote a short story about it once, titled Me and Mom and the Majorly Sucky Day!.

Try TALKING to the doctor or writing a letter first, maybe he would have some options. But otherwise, you may have to change doctors. The one I have now has never made me wait more than 30 minutes.

Carolyn