What is your average wait time for a doctor's appointment?
By mommyboo
@mommyboo (13174)
United States
August 11, 2008 10:44pm CST
I had an appointment today and I got to thinking about this. Because my daughter had ballet, I brought my son to stay with her when I ran to my appointment. My doctor's office is right down the street from the ballet studio, and my appointment was at 3:30. I figured I would get my daughter situated, then head to my appt about 3:10, ensuring I would be back by 4 or a few minutes after. The problem I encountered is the same as usual - even if I get there EARLY, I never get seen on time! I didn't get called back till almost 4, so I didn't get out until 4:27.
HOWEVER! If I had been called back at 3:30 which was my actual appt time, I would have been out by 4 like I wanted! I gave my son some money to get a few sodas at the deli by the ballet studio but I still had been wanting to try and get back there right after class was over. What is your experience? Do you get seen on time or close to it? I know some people will swear that you get called before your appt time if you arrive early but that has never seemed to come true for me. I have arrived up to 40 minutes early and STILL been called late. I don't know what to do about this, you can't exactly control the amount of time if people before you have questions or the doctor discovers something else they need to deal with promptly before that patient leaves. Maybe they should only schedule one each half hour instead of one every 15 minutes. Ideas?
3 people like this
19 responses
@34momma (13882)
• United States
12 Aug 08
I am so lucky! my doctor, the childrens doctor and dentist are really good with keeping time. i don't think i have ever waited more then 5 to 6 minutes for any appointment I have ever had. there is nothing sitting and waiting for hours at the doctor's office.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I wonder if it's regional and has something to do with population concentration. Maybe it's because I tend to be choosy about my doctors (and any professionals I hire) and so if I like them, other people do too, and that means they have a gigantic clientele. I wish I could say I only had to wait 5 minutes! My daughter's pediatrician is pretty fast but they are the only office that tends to stay on time. My dentist's office is almost worse than my doctor's office.
1 person likes this
@nicholejade (2430)
• Canada
12 Aug 08
Consider yourself lucky with your wait time. I have been to doctors where I have had to wait for hours on end before I got to see the doctor. At that point I was just ready to walk out. The longest wait time I had to see a doctor was 4 hours. Yes you heard right 4 hours. It was killer and truly hated it. I was so irrated it wasn't funny and by that point really cranky. However I have gone to doctors and been called in as soon as I go there. Which is nice. I am one of those people you get in and then get out. However it doesn't happen like this in all cases. The problem with doctors these days is they over book themselves and that is why the wait time increases sometimes at a drastic rate.
@nicholejade (2430)
• Canada
18 Aug 08
It's all because of the making a buck. It's pretty sad if you ask me. I have actually walked out on the doctor and tell them call me when the doctor actually has time. My time is precious just like theirs so why make us wait like that. I had an appointment one day and their computers went down lost all their information. Needless to say that when I had a scheduled appointment I had to wait 4 frigin hours just to see for a little 10 minute physical. I was so mad and very cranky at this point.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
It bothers me that they overbook! Why do they do this? Oh yes, the almighty dollar. No wonder patients complain. When my kids used to go see this other doctor out in a town 10 miles out (closer to the middle of nowhere), the wait times there were very bad. I had scheduled both of their school physicals and they were supposed to be one right after the other, one at 3, one at 3:30. Well, we arrived there at 2:40 to give us time to sign in and all that. All square to go by 2:50. Of course nothing happened at 3. By 3:30 I got antsy, went up and asked, found out we had five people ahead of us. FIVE. By 4 I asked again, no, three people to go. Another half hour, an emergency happened, some kid who had a finger smashed in a car door out in the parking lot. I had my little one with me and she was soo hungry. I went and informed the front desk I was taking my kids to get some dinner, so could they kindly not call us for half an hour. We get back around 5 and STILL WAITED! I don't think I got home with the kids till almost 7 PM. I have no idea why the wait times were so long, my kids' physicals took approx 10 minutes EACH.
@Ithink (9980)
• United States
12 Aug 08
I thnk part of it is if the doctor respects his patients, yes there is always emergencies and questions from the patience in front of you but if it is continuing thing to me it becomes respect.
Our family doctor is awesome, I have never waited more then 15 minutes and normally it is not even that long. Now a doctor we went to before would be so double and triple booked that I would literally start talking to other patients and making comments so that I could be heard by the receptionists and even the doctors that were there. This is how I found out they were scheduling up to 3 patients for the same time every 15 minutes. I can tell you after a few times there and waiting 2 to 3 hours my mouth would really start and it would start getting everyone going.
I think it is unfair for doctors to do this and the thing that would make me even more upset was the one time that I asked for the very FIRST appointment of the day which was 10 the doctor didnt show up til 10:20!! We changed doctors shortly after that and so did most of my family and friends. Even doctors need to learn that it isnt just on their time.
We pay for a service and I expect to be respected enough to be seen in a resonable time.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
12 Aug 08
Thankfully I rarely wait long. But I never get there too early either. It is no usual at all that one will be called early if we go early - people forget that others have appointments book for before them as well. THe only time someone might be called early is if the person before cancels or is not there, but that doesn't happen as much as people think.
I never arrive earlier than 5 minutes = 10 maximum - before my appointment, and I am usually called on time. Booking are done for a reason thinking that by going earlier one will be seen earlier is a mistake, really.
Actually too many people going quite earlier in hopes of being seen earlier are actually more of a problem than anything else, and often delay everything even more.
When I worked at the clinic in the hospital we usually didn't like it that people did that, because when one gets early somewhere the time passing seems even longer and then they tend to complain a lot. Still they weren't seen any earlier for that, unless as I said there was a cancellation.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I still should fairly expect to be seen AT my appt time or within 5 minutes if I arrived early because that means they have my chart, i've paid my copay, and they've verified my ins coverage. There is no reason I should have to wait an additional 30 min on TOP of the 10 min I arrived early. If I arrived late then I can understand that they may have taken the person after me in my place if they were there, then it would be my fault for having arrived late.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
16 Aug 08
You should be seen at your appointment time, and not have to wait, you are very right in expecting that.
THink about it this way though: 3 more people arrived really early in hopes to be seen earlier than their appointment. For some reason there was an opening and the doctor started seeing them.. but everything goes a bit later after that. THere's your waiting time:)
Of course sometimes doctors just ran late because they needed some more time with a patient, or something happened to delay everything.
Personally however, and as a rule , I am never seen later than my appointment by more than a few minutes.I"m probably luckier than what I thought LOL
@wachit14 (3595)
• United States
12 Aug 08
I actually had a doctor's appointment today. This was the first time I was seeing this doctor and I was asked to come in fifteen minutes before my scheduled appointment to fill out some paper work. While I was doing that, I heard another patient say that he (the doctor) was running about forty-five minutes behind. He is a specialist and this isn't unusual. I waited approximately thirty minutes past my scheduled appointment and then again waited in the examination area for about another five minutes or so. However, he took the time to spend with me, talk to me and examine me so, for me, it was worth the wait. The only time it's not is when the doctor is rushing patients along. I always feel like they got a golf game to run off to.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I should start calling the office before I leave my house to see if they are running behind BEFORE I leave lol. My doctor's office is about 15 min away, 20 if there's traffic, so say she was running 40 min behind, then I would arrive for my appt 15 min late. Then I'd only have to wait half an hour.
@3cardmonte (5098)
•
12 Aug 08
thats terrible,but think yourself lucky you got an appointment.I tried to make an appointment with my doctor (specifically my doctor as shes the only one i feel comfortable talking to) and i was told that i would have to wait 4 and a half weeks! And when you actually get into the office,the receptionists are so rude and the wait time is about the same as yours,no matter how early you get there,they also have this new thing where they dont call your name but it appears on a screen above the receptionists station,what if you arent looking at the screen?
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Four and a half weeks? How busy is your doctor? I don't end up having too much trouble getting an appt with my doctor, it's just waiting that day for the appt. If I need to make a follow up appt, it depends how soon they want to see me, and I make that appt before I leave the office.
I have not heard of having a screen with your name on it, but I know they do that at the DMV, you draw a number and the screen will say 'now serving 52' or whatever and if you're not looking and don't go up, they will bypass you and put up the next number!
@shana123 (2095)
• India
12 Aug 08
I cant calculate anything like approximate waiting time in a hospital because i go to several hospitals and the wait timings differ from one hospital to other.. in some hosiptals i can go as soon as i reach that place but to some hospitals i should wait there for several hours even if i had an appointment.. the onlything i can tell is if your an emergency case that time also you should wait atleast for 5 minutes for the doctors to arrive .. this is not a joke but im true..
I had been waiting for 3 hours at the maximum one day at hospital being fixed an appointment.. and paid extra money for it !!!
I had been mistaken for some one and given entry to visit doctor once.. hee hee...
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I think it's a matter of the place not honoring the appointment times. I honestly don't know why they even give you an appointment time if they are so busy there's not a chance in heck they will come close to calling you at that time.
Now if I go to the ER because of something that needs immediate attention, I know that I may wait because I don't have an appt, but I also know that they triage you and will take you back in order of importance. If you show up and had a fainting spell and just need to be checked out because you still have strange symptoms and it's 2 AM so your doctor is not in, you might wait a little while, but if you got your foot caught in a chopper and have lost some of your toes - they'll take you IMMEDIATELY lol.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
12 Aug 08
Lately when I have been to the doctor it is so frustrating, it has taken nearly an hour to see a doctor. Each of these occassions I have also booked a time in. not once have I been seen on time.
I am not sure what they could do to fix the problem, but I think maybe they shouldn't take on so many patients if they are that busy. OR maybe they need to try and find more doctors at their clinic.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I feel like they overbook too. I can't see why, it usually means they have disgruntled and upset patients who are now late to everything else, and they have to stay longer (the doctors) to wrap up everything, finish paperwork, do referrals or auths, call the pharmacy, etc. I try to build in a little extra time if I have an appt due to knowing I will probably be called late, but I rarely if ever have a day when I have NOTHING else planned, so it really puts a crimp in things if I have to wait too long.
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
12 Aug 08
My doctors is not too bad actually, although it does depend on which doctor I am down to see. There are three doctors in my surgery and two of them are terrible for running behind with their schedules. If I am down to see the other doctor or a nurse I know for a fact that I will be seen on time.
The worst wait that I ever had was when I went and the doctor was running an HOUR behind, I was in there for ages and was really cross about it. One of the reasons why I dont go to the docs unless I have to!!
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I don't like going to the doc unless I HAVE to either. I make time for one annual visit because I use birth control, but outside that I do not go unless I have a problem that requires antibiotics or a prescription or something I cannot get otc or deal with naturally.
@faln_angel1205 (1192)
• United States
18 Aug 08
Well i am generally early for appts, usually 10-15 mins before my scheduled time..not sure why, just a habit of mine. At my doc office..even when im early i prob wait only about 20 mins, they are pretty good at getting us in on time..at my sons pediatrician, not including the time im early..we wait a good 20-30 mins from the appt time, very aggravating, but better than his last pedi he was with. There we wouldnt get called back sometimes an hour after the appt time, and then would sit in the exam room waiting for the actual doc another half hr or more...hence the reason, it is his FORMER pedi doc...lol
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
12 Aug 08
You are so right! I guess it's the same no matter where you
live. I worked for quite a few doctors in various specialties
and they all seem to do the same thing. They will try to
get in as many patients as they can knowing full well that
they will be running late because they don't filter in for
phonecalls that they must take from pharmacies, other
physicians, hospitals, emergencies etc. There is no way that
each patient can be seen in 15 minute intervals, yet
that is the way they book them and that is why they never
run on or close to their schedule. They tend to figure that
they will have cancellations so that they will have extra
time somewhere in the schedule. It seems as if doctors
everywhere do the same thing and end up with the same problem.
And being in the position of having to deal with irrate
patients I can understand fully both ends of it. The only
people that can't or won't understand are the doctors
themselves.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I wonder why they do this. So much is bantered back and forth about quality of patient care, and what I really need is to be able to make an appt and as long as *I* arrive on time, I should be seen on time. That to me equals good patient care. That means they understand that a patient's time is valuable too and that we have to drive to their office and fill out forms and usually pay a copay, so we've already put in all that work and time just going to the appt. The least they could do is see us when they say they were going to when we made the appt and carved out that time. Some people run to appts on lunch hours or while kids are at school, and employers are only so understanding when your lunch hour is creeping towards two hours, or your child is sitting in the office at school, crying because mommy did not show up to pick her up after class.
@TheHawkBat (669)
• United States
12 Aug 08
I rarely go to the doctor, so this is a hard question to answer. However, this morning I just went to one. My wait time was only about 5 minutes, and I seem to remember it usually being something around this. My doctor is very good about keeping to his appointments, which I think is great. We make appointments for this reason, and it seems doctors should also keep their end of the bargain.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I totally agree! We set aside the time in OUR busy schedules to make it to the appointments, the least they can do is let us know they appreciate it by calling us on time, so we are not late to everything else that day as a result of spending 3 hours at the doctor's office.
@rhen1986 (34)
• Philippines
12 Aug 08
hello there, im a member of medical team, im a nurse, and i do understand where youre coming from. just u have to be patient, the thing is your not the only who they have to check and do the routine physical exam and have to talk to the patient and explain everything and answer ever queries they have. i totally understand were ur coming from but try to put your feet on our feet/ doctors feet and ull realize that its not that easy. peace y'all
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Allow more time for patients, 30 min intervals for appts instead of 15 min. It just seems there are too many patients being scheduled for the timeframe that actual appointments are taking up. They are going to bottleneck somewhere and like I mentioned in another post, some people make the appts around times when someone else has their kids or a lunch break. It is of utmost importance in a situation like that, that a doctor's office stays on schedule, otherwise it pretty much wrecks the patient's schedule or the patient has to just leave without being seen.
@izhuce13 (158)
• China
12 Aug 08
i am a chinese, in china, we seldom have an appointment with the doctor. we just go to the hospital to see a doctor. so somethings we have to wait in the hospital in a long line.and the average time we wait at hospital is 15 minutes. but i hope i do not go to the hospital anymore. you know it is not a good thing. i hate the smell in it.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
16 Aug 08
So you just go to an emergency room if you need to see a doctor? Do you have any outpatient clinics or urgent care centers at all? I am in the US, I'm not familiar with how healthcare works in China. It sounds like a lot of trouble since here the ER is only supposed to be used for life threatening conditions. Urgent care is where you go if you cannot be seen same day by your doctor or your doctor is closed.
@ryzach (1544)
• United States
18 Aug 08
I am with Kaiser and they are pretty good about getting the appointments on time. If someone is late for their appointment the make them wait. Sometimes they are behind and I am sure this can happen but I know how frustrating it is to arrive on time or even early and have to wait way after to get seen. It makes you wonder why we even bother to make appointments. or maybe at least tell us we will be seen as early as 3:30 and up to as late as 4 pm. Usually I only have to wait 5 to 10 minutes at most if I do have to wait.
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
12 Aug 08
I usually get seen right about my time. If I don't, then the wait is never to long. It is maybe 15-20 minutes. I can live with that. I am not usually late. I try and arrive about 15 minutes before my appointment.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 Aug 08
I don't think I ever get seen early. But some doctor's offices do seem better organized than others and they schedule things so that people have enough time to get through everything so that the next person doesn't have to wait. Others seem to have problems all the time. Every doctor has emergencies that cause delays and you are going to have to wait sometimes, but the ones with good scheduling have that problem much less often than the ones who don't.
@pam210 (344)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Wait time at the doctors office varies depending on the doctor. My kids pediatrician is great along with my ob/gyn. I am usually in the office within a few minutes of my appointment time but my family doctor is a different story. They are so busy and they always overbook that wait time can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour. And that is just to get into the office. I have spend another 15 - 30 minutes waiting for the doctor. I don't know if it is really worth getting upset about because I like the doctors in the practice and I think it is the same everywhere else. Doctors are becoming scarce and there are just too many patients and not enough doctors. I just try to anticipate that I will be there a long time, bring a good book and leave the kids with a babysitter.
