I just walked out of a Dr appt after waiting 45 min

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[missiemick]

If more people would walk out, I would suspect that the doctors would change. It's a business.

 

My current Dr. will get me (and my four children) out of the waiting room (with all the toys) pretty quickly but then make us wait in the examining room (no toys, cramped space) for 45 min.:glare:

[Ecclecticmum]

We're in Australia so things are a bit different.

 

20mins to an hour and a half is normal waiting time. And most of the time I have to do it with 3 littlies who want to play musical chairs, run round all the people and try to destroy the magazines.

 

Suffice to say I hate anywhere that has a waiting room, and usually avoid it for as long as I can LOL

[lailasmum]

Our free or very cheap NHS dentist always makes people wait for ages, I have been in there waiting for an an hour pretty much every time, I think they book everyone in so tightly they are behind every day. The dental hospital we went to last year was ridiculous, everyone was expected to turn up at the same 8am appointment and then they were called anytime between then and lunch, no indication when that would be. It was a hard day.

 

The private dentist we now see is so organised and we go in at the time the appointment is made at, he has also told me to to come in slightly late with my son so we can walk straight in to the surgery with out having to wait at all. Its so nice to have the focus on our convenience rather than his, though we do pay for it that courtesy.

 

Our doctors is always about 1/2 an hour behind.

[Word Nerd]

I went to a new practice for my last checkup and waited over a half hour to be taken to a room. I wish now that I had walked out, as their office is completely incompetent, tried to bill me for labwork they didn't do, sent the wrong doctor's name to my insurance company, etc...the lateness should have been my first clue. :tongue_smilie:

[simka2]

My mother taught me to always arrive 30min prior to any dr's appt. Even if I was a returning or regular patient. If I was 30 min early and they made me wait 40 min longer, I would ask why the long wait. If there wasn't a reasonable explanation I would honestly tell them that I am no longer comfortable being seen by this dr.

[mcconnellboys]

I've rarely gone to the internist we selected as our doctor after we moved here because he triple books his patients and no matter what time you go - even first thing in the morning when he's supposed to just be getting there - he is ALWAYS ages and ages behind. You can expect it to take at least 3 hours. As he's gotten older (he's about my age) his memory has become worse, too, and he simply can't keep up with the volume of patients he tries to see. Last time I had lab work done, they sent me the correct labs, but his comments, analysis, etc. were based on my labs from a prior visit and I had to correct them.... I've got to find someone else.... I also detest our pediatricians, who always send us directly to the emergency room for any real problem that arises. I feel as if none of us has had a *real* doctor since we've moved here....

 

ETA: Oops! My point being that I've had to walk out of numerous doctors offices on many occasions since moving here, which is something I had never experienced before....

[Annie G]

Living in a fairly small town (fewer than 50,000), we assumed our speedy health care was due to the size of the practices. But then dh started going to the chief of cardiology at a large university hospital one state over. Never had to wait more than 10 minutes, and yet he spent plenty of time with us each and every visit.

Even when he had procedures at that hospital, they took us back and got started within minutes of arrival.

It can be done promptly, and should be.

[stephanier.1765]

Once I waited 45 minutes in the waiting room and then another 45 minutes in the exam room so I left. The front desk couldn't believe I actually walked out of the exam room. I never went back. For me, that was too much.

[cat]

you waited 45 but how much longer would it have been? No telling! If I had things to do, then I would have left too..... but most likely you will end up waiting on Monday. I would see about a new doctor's office.

[tadbhoward]

I am amazed that everyone has such short wait times. We think nothing of waiting 30 or 45 minutes. I've had appointments with more than 2 or 3 hours wait. Top of his field' date=' so everyone knew it was an all day affair. Obviously that's the exception, but even regular doctors and dentists usually have long waits.[/quote']

 

:iagree:

 

I am always pleasantly surprised when we wait less than an hour. Average is 1.5 hours.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

My mother taught me to always arrive 30min prior to any dr's appt. Even if I was a returning or regular patient. If I was 30 min early and they made me wait 40 min longer, I would ask why the long wait. If there wasn't a reasonable explanation I would honestly tell them that I am no longer comfortable being seen by this dr.

:confused: I cannot for the life of me think of why she taught that. I wonder what the reasoning was behind being 30 minutes early?

[AngieW in Texas]

I know that the podiatrist I go to has a HUGE enormous backlog all the time. I learned how his office worked pretty quickly and only scheduled appointments between 8am and 9am. Even at 9am there was often a 45 minute backlog. I think the problem is that the appointment desk schedules him for 5 minutes with each person, but he is very personable and spends at least 15 minutes. That leads to a backlog very quickly.

[ondreeuh]

I never have walked out. We see one specialist who is ALWAYS late. We saw her last week and she was an hour late. However, she is a pediatric cardiologist and at the mercy of the echo lab's timing, and she does have to give a lot of difficult news to patients. I took up a bunch of her time last week because she had bad news for us, and I was grateful she was able to spend it with me. It wouldn't be so bad to wait if they left us in the big waiting room, but they always shuffle us to an exam room and that's so much more boring.

 

But a routine appt. when you are supposedly next to be called and no one is updating you? That is not good practice on the doctor's part.

[naturalmom]

Well, it's worth a lot to me that my doctors (family med and specialists) don't rush my or my kids' appointments. I have had that experience in the past, and will say that I don't want the doctor's office run like a business!

 

I don't usually have to wait long for my doctors, except for one that always makes me wait over an hour, sometimes 2. I always bring a book, and then I'm not bothered.

 

I was also recently at the ER with my dd. Our ER doesn't automatically put children at the top of the list - they do it by medical urgency. It's very frustrating to wait in an ER, but I think that's the best way to handle it.

 

A friend of mine who stopped practicing to stay home with her kids was increasingly frustrated at the short appointment times she was given. She felt she couldn't give the best care when she was overbooked.

 

I guess I would see WHY I had to wait before getting angry. Just too many possibilities at the doctor's office, with several of them legitimate reasons.

[BabyBre]

Good for you! I've done it before, and if it becomes a chronic problem I'd find a new office. Just make sure they don't bill your insurance for the visit anyway.

[Joanne]

The practical problem with leaving after 45 minutes is that when you add preparation time, travel, and wait together, you have to invest the same the next time. It still takes up more of what should be "my" time.

 

When I was very pregnant with my youngest (note that means I had a 2 and 4 year old), I went to pick up eye glasses that were ready. I had an appointment. I had to see the "fitter" or whatever title that person was for my glasses.

 

I waited (with kids, cause xh never had the kids or helped). And waited. The kids were getting restless. The first time I saw someone who came in after me get served before me, I went to the desk. Looking back, I think that is when they discovered someone had crossed off my name as if I had been taken care of.

 

More waiting. The kids were crazy restless, and I was sitting on the waiting room floor trying to entertain them. When they called yet another person ahead of me, I said loudly "I HOPE THE FACT THAT I AM 6 centimeters dilated and 6 inches of vagina away from delivering a baby in front of 2 restless children is ok with everyone here?"

 

:lol::auto:

[Word Nerd]

When they called yet another person ahead of me, I said loudly "I HOPE THE FACT THAT I AM 6 centimeters dilated and 6 inches of vagina away from delivering a baby in front of 2 restless children is ok with everyone here?"

 

 

:lol: I hope you got in immediately after that!

[Teachin'Mine]

The practical problem with leaving after 45 minutes is that when you add preparation time, travel, and wait together, you have to invest the same the next time. It still takes up more of what should be "my" time.

 

When I was very pregnant with my youngest (note that means I had a 2 and 4 year old), I went to pick up eye glasses that were ready. I had an appointment. I had to see the "fitter" or whatever title that person was for my glasses.

 

I waited (with kids, cause xh never had the kids or helped). And waited. The kids were getting restless. The first time I saw someone who came in after me get served before me, I went to the desk. Looking back, I think that is when they discovered someone had crossed off my name as if I had been taken care of.

 

More waiting. The kids were crazy restless, and I was sitting on the waiting room floor trying to entertain them. When they called yet another person ahead of me, I said loudly "I HOPE THE FACT THAT I AM 6 centimeters dilated and 6 inches of vagina away from delivering a baby in front of 2 restless children is ok with everyone here?"

 

:lol::auto:

 

 

:lol:

[Cheryl in NM]

Am I crazy and will they mark me as a bad patient??? :lol:

 

We waited 45 minutes in the waiting room. When I arrived I asked if they were behind and I was told 2 people were in rooms and I was next to be called for that Dr. I went and asked after 30 min and they said I was next...but after 45 minutes I got up and changed the appointment to Monday.

 

They called the nurses desk but no answer so they have no clue why it suddenly got so behind.

 

I haven't walked out before. Do you after so long? I felt bad for my kids who had already waited so long but goodness, I have things to do today!

 

I've done this before. I just explained that I couldn't wait any longer and I re-scheduled my appointment. This is with a doctor that I see all the time. I get allergy shots and have to see the doctor quarterly. He routinely runs late, but one day I waited 1.5 hours. He doesn't have emergencies where he gets called to the hospital or for surgery. I find that kind of wait time unacceptable so I won't wait. He's lucky I don't charge him for a missed appointment! :D I didn't jokingly tell his assistant that. She laughed!

[dirty ethel rackham]

BTDT. I went to the OB and saw a waiting room full of women. That should have been my first clue. When I asked at the desk how long it would be, they said 15 minutes. I had my doubts, but, hey, maybe these women were seeing other doctors in the practice. Nobody got called. I asked at the desk again and they said 15 minutes. I waited an hour before I told the front desk that my babysitter had to leave and I couldn't very well leave a 2yo at home alone so I had to reschedule. They told me that he was at a delivery and I should wait because he would not see me again for 8 weeks. (Like they could not have told me an hour earlier that he wasn't even there. I so wanted to say "Buh Bye!" permanently but was too chicken. Not anymore.

 

Another incident ... I really wish I had walked out. I was at the colorectal surgeon's office for a follow-up visit. He was running late so it was 30 minutes before I was taken to a room, given a gown and told to take off my pants. I was in there for 40 minutes with no pants. I heard talking outside the whole time and figured it was office staff gossiping. I opened the door a crack to discover that my doctor was telling his office manager about his date the night before. He made me wait over an hour - most of it with no pants - so he would brag about his love-life??? The guy was an ass!

[Lizzie in Ma]

I have resigned myself to it so we pack drinks, snacks, school, DS and books.

I have never gone where we were there less than 2 and 1/2 hours and typically more like 3 or more.

It is what it is.

[Tess in the Burbs]

well I go back today...will let you know how I was treated and how long it takes. This is literally supposed to be a 5 min visit and the only reason I am going is the alternative is a specialist half hour away that will cost me more. So I am hoping my family Dr will get it together today so I can get my prescription!

 

And I live 5 minutes away...so travel time isn't an issue in this case. If I had traveled half an hour to a specialist I might have waited longer. :tongue_smilie:

[Quiver0f10]

BTDT. I went to the OB and saw a waiting room full of women. That should have been my first clue. When I asked at the desk how long it would be, they said 15 minutes. I had my doubts, but, hey, maybe these women were seeing other doctors in the practice. Nobody got called. I asked at the desk again and they said 15 minutes. I waited an hour before I told the front desk that my babysitter had to leave and I couldn't very well leave a 2yo at home alone so I had to reschedule. They told me that he was at a delivery and I should wait because he would not see me again for 8 weeks. (Like they could not have told me an hour earlier that he wasn't even there. I so wanted to say "Buh Bye!" permanently but was too chicken. Not anymore.

 

 

This happened to me recently at my family doctor's office. I waited over an hour and then a nurse comes out into the waiting room to tell us the doctor had been called to a delivery and it was taking longer than expected. I think they should have told us when the doctor got called, not an hour later. :glare:

[prairiewindmomma]

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Edited November 10, 2021 by prairiewindmomma