So frustrated with the process to make doctor appointment

[Janeway]

I am so sick and tired of long waiting lists. 

 

I had a suspected UTI. It took a few weeks, but I finally got to see a doctor for it yesterday. I have excellent insurance. But they tell you to just go to the ER or an urgent care if you want to be seen right away. Both the ER and urgent care have several hour waits. So you have to come and sit in the waiting room for hours, usually more than 4 hrs, to be seen. I have the antibiotics for the UTI.

 

I have this back problem. I have a doctor I have seen for years for this back problem. Problem though, it takes weeks just to get an appointment. It goes like this. You call and sit on hold for more than 15 minutes. Then, you get through to someone, but they just take your name for someone to call you back. They generally do not call back in less than a week. If you do not answer when they call back, which can be any random time, then you are knocked off the waiting list and have to start over. Well, I used the bathroom on Aug 25. I was only away from the phone for a couple minutes. I missed the call. I had to go through the whole thing to get returned to the waiting list. My original call was Aug 18. 

 

Once you do get an appointment, there is always a good hour wait in the waiting room.

 

I decided to try a different doctor with a different practice and closer to home. They were awful. I actually went there when I chipped a bone. The doctor took one x-ray. It must not have been very good. My knee was swollen and discolored. He came back in and said I am fine, I am just overweight, get exercise and stop eating junk food. And that was it. I then went on the waiting list for the ortho office I usually go to. They did their own X-rays and found that I had chipped the bone. I had laprascopic surgery to repair and remove the chip. I even have pictures from it. So needless to say, I do not feel like there are better options for a doctor. They all seem to have huge practices so a lot of doctors seem to be within those two groups and I am limited by insurance.

 

Now, I have my phone turned on and with me at all times. I won't take a shower until I have someone to watch my phone and answer it. This can easily go on for a few weeks. They might call Tuesday, they might call in October. I do not know. 

 

Anyone else experience this where they are? Because when I talk to old friends who do not live here, no one else goes through this. To my husband, this is just yet another reason to move away, for healthcare. After my cesarean, I had complications and needed another surgery. But, the surgeon was backed up so I had to wait 2 months to get fixed, even though the complications really did call for surgery right away.

[ktgrok]

No, nothing like that here. Where do you live? (general area, not specific address, of course.)

[Pegasus]

No. That is ridiculous. For something acute like a UTI or ear infection, I use a clinic in a drugstore like Walgreen's. I have had good luck making same day appointments online so no phone wait times. I can usually get same week or next week appts with my GP or GYN for any issues. Preventative checkups can be a couple weeks out.

[Pawz4me]

The wait here to see some specialists if you're not already an established patient can be several weeks. With the primary care providers I've had I've always been able to get in on the same day for something like a UTI. We have enough urgent cares that the (few) times we've needed to use one we've never had to wait more than 15 minutes or so. I can't comment on the ER situation around here--thankfully it's been many years since we've had to use one.

[creekland]

Not the case locally here, but seems to be similar toward the big city nearby where they have loads more people.

 

For any basic infection I can go to Urgent Care and usually get seen within an hour - often right as I walk in after signing in.

 

For other appts it can take a week - or less - same day if it's important.  Last week I changed my mind about making a referred appt and got a call from the doctor's office wondering if I'd misunderstood "the plan."  That took me way off guard TBH, but thinking about it afterward, I'm kind of flattered that they cared enough to follow up, so opted to go ahead and make the appt even if I'm still pretty sure it will be useless.  They made that appt the first day "I" could make it (literally).  It's the day after we return from visiting my inlaws.

 

At our local doctor offices I'm often "out" before my appt time if I arrived half an hour (or so) early.  It doesn't always happen, but it's more common than not.

Edited September 3, 2016 by creekland

[Jean in Newcastle]

One of the benefits of living near a major metropolitan area is that I have tons of choices on medical care.  My primary doctor will see me the same day if it is urgent.  Or he will just call in a script for me just from what I've told him on the phone. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

Not here. I can be a few days to see my doctor if it is not urgent and not routine. I can see someone in urgent care in about an hour ... A little longer if the flu is prevalent and it is after hours.

 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[Corraleno]

I can get an appointment with our GP usually within a week, and same day if it's urgent. Specialist appointments can take a lot longer if they're not urgent, but I got an appointment for Mohs surgery for skin cancer within 2 weeks. That was the only time I've had to wait for someone to call me back with an appointment time, but that was because they were coordinating between two offices and trying to see when they could both squeeze me in. I've only used the Urgent Care here once, on a Saturday, and we were seen within 15 minutes or so. Where we used to live, there was only one Urgent Care covering a much bigger area so the wait was more like 1-1.5 hours.

[Rachel]

That's not been my experience at all. The exception was a dermatologist when I had a weird rash while pregnant but I explained to the receptionist that I needed to be seen more quickly and got in within a couple days. I had been there before but it had been a few years so I had to start over as a new patient.

 

I have strep, I called my doctor yesterday morning at a little after 9. She was out for the long weekend, but one of her partners saw me at 10. I live in a small town but we have at least three different family practices to choose from.

 

I'm not sure where you live but I think it may be time to find a new doctor. Get established so the next time something urgent comes up you can get in. Ire quickly.

[Janeway]

That's not been my experience at all. The exception was a dermatologist when I had a weird rash while pregnant but I explained to the receptionist that I needed to be seen more quickly and got in within a couple days. I had been there before but it had been a few years so I had to start over as a new patient.

 

I have strep, I called my doctor yesterday morning at a little after 9. She was out for the long weekend, but one of her partners saw me at 10. I live in a small town but we have at least three different family practices to choose from.

 

I'm not sure where you live but I think it may be time to find a new doctor. Get established so the next time something urgent comes up you can get in. Ire quickly.

While I was pregnant, my blood sugars were off so the OB wanted me to see an endocrinologist. There were none in this town. The nearest one had a six month wait. And I was an established patient there. Needless to say, I didn't end up seeing one while pregnant. When I did see her, when the baby was a few months old, she said the staff should have tried to squeeze me in. Next time, if I am lucky enough to have another baby, I will probably skip the GT testing unless they have something to do with the results. That was a lot of needles and a lot of worry over something where there was no medical care for it.

[kroe1]

Here in south Florida wait times for some specialties like neurology is 3 months. Primary care appointments are starting to reach 1 month. There is a huge physician shortage in America. It has been affecting rural areas for roughly 10 years, but is now encroaching more metropolitan areas. Family members who are physicians say that unsolicited emails from head hunters has gone from one or two a week to twenty or more a day. Scary times.

[Joker]

Nothing like that here. We can usually always get same day, or at least next day, appointments when sick. If i need urgent care, weekend or holiday, I'm seen within an hour.

 

New patient appointments for new GP or specialists can take months here though.

[Aura]

Wow. Also wondering where you live. I've never had that kind of problem. The longest waits are for specialists...or the dentist...but if someone needed to be seen soon for like a UTI, the most I've had to wait is until the next day, no matter what insurance/doctor I've had.

 

[heartlikealion]

Ugh that is awful. I have been through some similar situations, but not usually to that extreme. Like I was waiting for a couple months to be seen for mental health which I am told sometimes is normal. I waited at least two months to get an evaluation by the only psychiatrist in my network. And most of it was a waste of my time because I felt like she hardly got to know me as we were forced to answer 1000 questions about substance abuse which in my case are not applicable. All I could think is thank goodness I didn't kill myself waiting for mental health. /smh

 

ETA: I was not meaning to sound like I was talking about suicide in a disrespectful way. I was actually just saying how awful it is for patients to wait when they could be suicidal, etc.

Edited September 3, 2016 by heartlikealion

[Night Elf]

How frustrating! I'm sorry you deal with that. I've never experienced anything like that with medical professionals. I've been in our ER a few times and the wait time was never more than an hour if even that long.

 

Do you live in a hugely populated area? Or an area with very few doctors so the practices are crowded?

[Ailaena]

 

Not like that here except for some specialists - I can get a regular doctor's appointment within a few days. But with neither have I sat on hold for more than a few minutes or had people calling me back never. In Phoenix, it was totally opposite: regular doc had long waits, specialists had short waits!

 

With ER/urgent care visits, if it's not an emergency, it's all about timing. Sunday after 3 is super slow, but Sunday morning and Saturday daytime are also pretty slow. As are weekdays before 7am and after 8pm.

 

Someone mentioned those clinics in Walgreens or the grocery store, and I second them. It's a cheap, quick visit for something minor.

[prairiewindmomma]

That's like malpractice-worthy bad.

 

As far as urgent care places go, Walgreens and the like allow you to book online for later in the day if you don't want to wait in person at the clinic.

 

There's no way that I'd wait weeks to be seen for a UTI--organ damage isn't high on my list of things I want to accomplish in life.

 

Why in the world didn't your ob push for better endocrinology care for you? And, to add, why didn't she point out that poor blood sugar control in pregnancy points to a higher likelihood of type 2 diabetes later on in life and ensure that you were getting advice re: diet, etc. to help you prevent getting diabetes later?

 

You know that's not right or normal, so why are you tolerating that kind of care?

[heartlikealion]

That's like malpractice-worthy bad.

 

As far as urgent care places go, Walgreens and the like allow you to book online for later in the day if you don't want to wait in person at the clinic.

 

There's no way that I'd wait weeks to be seen for a UTI--organ damage isn't high on my list of things I want to accomplish in life.

 

Why in the world didn't your ob push for better endocrinology care for you? And, to add, why didn't she point out that poor blood sugar control in pregnancy points to a higher likelihood of type 2 diabetes later on in life and ensure that you were getting advice re: diet, etc. to help you prevent getting diabetes later?

 

You know that's not right or normal, so why are you tolerating that kind of care?

 

I gathered that the OP has limited in network options and that has a lot to do with it. Or do you mean confronting the doctor(s) to point out how bad they are? lol. Because I assume if she's like me, that's hard to delicately do and expect any good to come from it.

 

[ktgrok]

FYi, many times OBs handle the treatment for gestational diabetes themselves. Not having access to the endocrinologist doesn't excuse them from managing your care properly. 

[UCF612]

No we haven't experienced that here. We have one Urgent Care that is notorious for long waits but there is another down the road that's faster and just as accurate. Primary care is always able to get us in quickly. Specialists have slightly longer waits but we've never needed to see one for anything time sensitive. And the phone call thing...never! They leave a message if they call and we don't get bumped.

 

I'm in central Florida.

[idnib]

I've never had anything like that except one world-renowned doctor who was booked for 6 months in advance. Otherwise I can often get in the same day or the next morning. Waiting more than a day for a UTI sounds bad, not just due to the discomfort, but because it can progress to a kidney infection.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I gathered that the OP has limited in network options and that has a lot to do with it. Or do you mean confronting the doctor(s) to point out how bad they are? lol. Because I assume if she's like me, that's hard to delicately do and expect any good to come from it.

 

 

Learning to advocate for yourself (or to get someone to do it for  you) is a very important skill.  It doesn't mean telling the doctors how bad they are.  It means asking for timely and appropriate medical care.  And if they won't or can't give it, finding someone who will.  I would drive an hour one way to get good medical care if there was nothing else closer.  (And for more complicated things I would drive even farther.) 

 

edited to save a kitten.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Jean in Newcastle

[happypamama]

That is horrible, a few weeks to treat a UTI! Ugh! I had one of those a few weeks ago, my first. I actually ended up driving myself to the ER at 4:30 am so I didn't have to wait until urgent care opened at 8. I was in and out in 45 minutes with antibiotics. (I was newly pregnant, which may have helped.). But good grief, that was a nasty pain until the meds kicked in! So sorry you had to deal with that.

[Laura Corin]

Not the case here (rural Scotland).  For a UTI (if you've had one before) you are put straight through to the nurse practitioner on the phone who calls through a prescription to your nearest pharmacy.

 

For an acute knee injury, you go to the minor injuries clinic.  If it's out of hours, you need to call to get an appointment, which can take up to half an hour on the phone.  During the day it's walk in.  I've not had to wait more than half an hour.  

 

For a back problem (chronic) you would see your GP in the first instance.  For me, it can take a week to get a non-urgent appointment.  Referral to a specialist could take a couple of months.  My mum is on the waiting list right now for a physio appointment.  We sometimes use a private physio.  He's very good and an appointment costs about £45, so around $60.  You can usually get a private appointment in a few days, or on the same day for something acute.

 

The Accident and Emergency (ER) waits are hours long.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Laura Corin

[prairiewindmomma]

My point above was aimed towards self-advocacy. If I hadn't been able to get in with endocrinology, I would've asked the ob at my next appointment (if less than 2 weeks away) if she could fast track me in in the next week or so by contacting the endo directly or if he/she could manage my labs until I could get in with endo.

 

Likewise, if I had a UTI and could not get in with my primary for labs (which is just bizarre--I should be able to pee in a cup and leave it there for screening without having to be seen), then I would take myself to urgent care and be seen and have those records sent back to my primary after treatment.

 

I have not always had the best of doctors, but I have learned to advocate for me and mine. There are a variety of questions one can ask in an appointment that can lead to better care.

[Annie G]

No,  nothing like that here. Small town, about 20,000 residents. Our primary care doc is often booked but he has a nurse practitioner we can usually see the same day or if they are really booked, they call urgent care for us and get us on the list so we can walk in and be seen right away rather than waiting. 

 

I can't imagine having a UTI and not seeing a doc for a couple of weeks.  That sounds awful. 

[ThisIsTheDay]

Nothing like that here at all. I can always get in within a few days, and my particular doctors' office (part of a large local hospital system) has walk in hours each morning.  I'm in a small-medium sized metro area of about 300,000. There can be a several month waiting period for certain specialties, though (neurologist, for example).

[EKS]

Nothing like that here.  For things like a UTI, I can always get seen the same day.  And when I call, I always get a call back the same day.

[Farrar]

The wait for a regular appointment can be like that here. I mean, fifteen minute hold is a bit long, but I've had experiences like that. And I've had doctors treat me that way in a general sense.

 

ER waits are like that here too most of the time. But urgent care usually isn't so bad. The couple of times we've used it, we turned up a few minutes before opening and took one of the first appointments, so minimal wait.

 

My kids have a great ped with lower wait times and they do an urgent care clinic early mornings most days so you can be seen at your office without an appt for routine things, which is nice. But I've struggled to find anything like that.

 

But this is why dh and I recently sprang for boutique medicine. I hated to do it and it wasn't even so much the money, but the principle of the thing, but I have to say... I already feel like it's paid off.

 

 

[heartlikealion]

Learning to advocate for yourself (or to get someone to do it for  you) is a very important skill.  It doesn't mean telling the doctor's how bad they are.  It means asking for timely and appropriate medical care.  And if they won't or can't give it, finding someone who will.  I would drive an hour one way to get good medical care if there was nothing else closer.  (And for more complicated things I would drive even farther.) 

 

I already drive one way for medical care. So, depending on the OP's situation, it could easily be more time spent in driving/waiting than you think is reasonable for non complicated things.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I already drive one way for medical care. So, depending on the OP's situation, it could easily be more time spent in driving/waiting than you think is reasonable for non complicated things.

 

Doesn't everyone drive (or travel in some way) one way for medical care - or presumably two ways to get back home again?  Did you perhaps leave out a time in the sentence?  Anyway, I don't know the OP personally so I don't know where she lives and do not know her driving times to places including medical care.  All I was doing was answering the OP's question to say that it is not my experience where I live and to agree with Prairie that self advocacy is an important skill and that sometimes it is worth it to travel to a better doctor.  I'm afraid that I don't know or have any opinions on anything more personal than that. 

 

edited for clarity

Edited September 4, 2016 by Jean in Newcastle

[heartlikealion]

LOL Sorry I thought I typed "I already drive one hour for medical care." Where we live we tend to drive 45 min - hour for all medical needs. Even my ob/gyn which was closer has moved locations since I had my baby so now they are also over a half hour away. Just to say that saying, "just drive further if you don't like your options" is not always practical depending on where the OP lives in relation to her current options and how much of her day she is willing to waste. Last time I went to the dr I drove 45 min. each way and spent 2-3 hours waiting (the wait time was estimated so long that I went to the store and came back. They would only take walk-ins on Saturday I think they said and that was the only time I could go because dh was able to watch the kids). I thought that was bad, but the OP said she routinely waits 4 hours.

 

I really cannot imagine being put off for weeks for a UTI. I hope you can find a way to improve your situation, OP. Maybe speak to the "right" person.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2016 by heartlikealion