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I had this discussion recently and my friend pointed out that this also happens with utility workers on in-house visits, I guess cause of the demand there is on their work. At least where I live.
But I can't take it with doctors man. Also it's the only business where you can pay to get insulted or diminished, yet not diagnosed, repeatedly from different specialists (true story)
I have a few doctors like this.
One in particular, you have to schedule your whole day for the appointment. Even if it's virtual.
There's the call for the copay, the call for the vitals, the call with the midlevel, then the call with the doctor. I've waited over 5 hours just for the doctor before.
My next appointment with that doctor is after business hours. I am not looking forward to that late night.
I had this happen when I was at my Dr's appt. I needed a script for oxygen. Prior to that, I watched several people walk in, get called to go to one of the examination rooms almost immediately. The thing is that each one of the other patients was obviously in far worse shape. When I finally was seen, my Dr started apologizing profusely. I told her that I know what triage means and to not worry about it. Stuff happens. If I was one of the others, I would want relief too.
Haha good meme. Good work buddy I like it :)
Don't forget waiting for hours, going to the toilet for a leak and returning to see you've been skipped
How many other businesses would be fine with operating like this
The Apple Store, for starters.
Ticketmaster, also, too.
The best way to fix this is to cancel the appointment if they make you wait. If enough people did this the clinic loses money which should cause change. Unfortunately, patients are largely a captive clientele, having already waited months and canceled work and with few if any alternative providers.
The next best thing is much more realistic. Plaster the internet with reviews complaining of the wait. If your doctor (or more likely your doctor's employer) does not respect your time, let everyone know.
Many of the other comments are also correct. I have worked in clinics in government, military, academic centers, venture capital, physician owned, and even free community health centers, all in the USA. Doctors running late is going to happen. I've kept patients waiting while in the operating room, while telling someone they have cancer or are losing a limb, and by my burnt out underpaid government scheduler incompetently overbooking. I will also tell you that when I have at least a little control over my own schedule, I've never made a patient wait an hour, even with the above happening. It can be done, it just isn't because for decades timeliness has not been a financial incentive.
Make it one. Name and shame on google, yelp, zoc doc, wherever. Do it gracefully and sensitively, recognizing that there is a high chance the delay is not the doctor or nurse's fault. Done right, you'll do them a favor when their employer feels the sting of lost patients.
I joined a private medical group that has annual fees, purely to avoid this shit. They don't overbook. I've never had to wait, unless I got there early (and even then sometimes they were happy to see me early).
Man, I resonate with the meme here in the UK where it's free to go to the doctors but HAVING TO PAY FOR IT AT THE SAME TIME?!
You need a doctor, not otherwise.
Ok but how come i have to fill out that paper every time i come in? I've been to the same clinic over and over. Do they just throw my information away? Is it busywork to buy them time? I know it's a minor quibble but fucking hell
Your guesses might be right, but most likely you are talking about the questionnaires about your medical history and what's called the "review of systems".
In the US, medicare and most other insurances require those questions be asked every visit, however stupid that feels. Since your doctor may only get 10 minutes face to face with you, most of us will have an assistant or a paper ask those questions, so that we can say it was done but still have as much time as possible to talk about the more meaningful stuff.
Some places do it better than others. Usually, though, the form is hard to follow and photocopied to the point of total illegibility.
Thank you. That's helpful. Of course it was insurance. At least i know who to hate.
Eh, review of systems is good practice for any non-followup encounter anyway. It'd be nice if they actually paid RNs to do an abbreviated head to toe on non-followup visits just to catch random strays.