Why do doctors' offices tell you to show up 30 minutes early to fill out paperwork, then the paperwork takes 1 minute and you're sitting there for 29 minutes, getting more and more pissed off? And you have nothing to do but text your husband:
100% of my patients are seen within 5 minutes of their arrival. 100% of patient calls, email or texts are responded to within 1 hour. If I can do it why can't everyone?
The question then arises - Dr. McFizz, does your establishment of employ request people to arrive that early? (Unless you're strictly hospital based, of course.) ~Jasmine
Because unlike those of us who work on the other side of the timetable, most of the public has little to no respect for appointment times. I would say 8 times out of 10 I have new clients show up either right at their appointment time, or 5 minutes late, then take 5 minutes to fill out their paperwork. By the time I'm able to get in the room we've eaten up 10-15 minutes of their 30 minute appointment.
Yup - totally agree with Anonymous at 7:27. I am hospital based, but there are some routine, non-invasive procedures I need on all my new patients (work in Canada, and it's a procedure that the nurses do, so I can't bill for it, and it helps me stage my patients' disease, so it is necessary). I ask new patients to arrive 30 minutes early in order to have this test done, so that I can see them at the time for which they are scheduled. Almost all of my new patients, because they seem to think that all I want is for them to fill out paperwork, show up either on time, or a bit late. I am then sitting there, twiddling my thumbs (because I tend to run, at most, 5-15 minutes late, if that, and so I am often finished seeing/dictating, and waiting for patients to arrive). Unfortunately, what it means if people show up right at 9 for the 9 am appt is that I don't get a chance to see them until 9:30, when my other patients have shown up. This ends up delaying everyone else. I can catch up during lunch, or I end up dictating at the end of the day, or I catch up the time on my F/U patients, but it pissed me off to no end.
I had a guy who showed up 25 minutes late from his actual appt time (i.e. 30 minutes after the scheduled time, but 55 minutes after the time he was asked to show up), but then spent the entire appt complaining about how long he had to wait to see me (I am a specialist, and this guy had a very common, very not-serious diagnosis). It was only my professionalism that kept me from asking why he couldn't be bothered to show up on time if he was so concerned about his disease.
We advise patients to come 15 minute prior to their appointment time. Every freaking morning, I see my first patient, the 9:00 AM patient, at around 9:25 AM. Why? They show up "on time" at 9 AM (most of the time, they stroll in at 9:05 or 9:10 AM), check in and verify insurance, get their vision and hearing tested/vitals taken/MA verify their smoking status and allergy status and enter all this into the computer. Meanwhile, I'm sitting their twiddling my thumbs. Then I see all my patients 25 minutes late due to that first patient being late. Then the patients complain why they have to show up 15 minutes early to their appointment when they have to wait 30 minutes for the doctor to come in. It's a vicious cycle. To not get so backed up, one solution I could think of for my clinic would be to have an appointment slot each half day held close to allow the doctor to get caught up. However, as I work for a corporation, my solution would get me laughed out of town. I get told I have 10 minutes to see each sick patients and 20 minutes to see a well visit. You'd be surprised how little a say your doctor has in the scheduling. You'd be surprised how little a say your doctor has in the whole functioning of the clinic. I really hate to see my patients wait. I don't enjoy looking out in the waiting room and see a roomful of patients. To say that doctors don't value their patients' time is unfair and ignorant.
This is exactly it. I show up at work at 7:55. My first patient generally is ready for me to see them by 8:30 AND they have not filled out any paperwork (even though we MAIL IT TO THEM 1-2 weeks in advance). it throws the whole day off. BUT...if a patient no-shows, or happens to be quicker than expected, and you are here early? I will see you early. So it CAN pay to come early.
Monday morning, 9:40 a.m., and I have nothing better to do than post this. My two new visit 9:00 a.m. patients have both no-showed. My 9:30 follow-up has yet to show up as well. All three were confirmed Friday afternoon. We have a no-show policy, but our clinic chooses not to enforce it beacuse our partners fear that it will anger patients and incur malicious litigation. This is unacceptable behavior.
My clinic asks people to arrive 15 minutes early to complete paperwork. Maybe 50% of the time they actually do so. The rest of the time they show up on the hour or late. Which of course means that I end up running late and the next patient is unhappy. There's no win here.
Solution: always get the first appointment of the day or the first appointment after lunch. Every office gets off schedule immediately following the first patient of the day, without fail. Only answer is being the first patient.
100% of my patients are seen within 5 minutes of their arrival. 100% of patient calls, email or texts are responded to within 1 hour. If I can do it why can't everyone?
ReplyDeleteYou only treat cholera and have 30 minute appointments, charge $150 cash up front, and have a 400 square ft office?
DeleteThe question then arises - Dr. McFizz, does your establishment of employ request people to arrive that early? (Unless you're strictly hospital based, of course.)
ReplyDelete~Jasmine
I'm hospital based.
DeleteBecause many/most medical offices have no respect for patients' time. Simple enough.
ReplyDeleteBecause unlike those of us who work on the other side of the timetable, most of the public has little to no respect for appointment times. I would say 8 times out of 10 I have new clients show up either right at their appointment time, or 5 minutes late, then take 5 minutes to fill out their paperwork. By the time I'm able to get in the room we've eaten up 10-15 minutes of their 30 minute appointment.
ReplyDeleteYup - totally agree with Anonymous at 7:27. I am hospital based, but there are some routine, non-invasive procedures I need on all my new patients (work in Canada, and it's a procedure that the nurses do, so I can't bill for it, and it helps me stage my patients' disease, so it is necessary). I ask new patients to arrive 30 minutes early in order to have this test done, so that I can see them at the time for which they are scheduled. Almost all of my new patients, because they seem to think that all I want is for them to fill out paperwork, show up either on time, or a bit late. I am then sitting there, twiddling my thumbs (because I tend to run, at most, 5-15 minutes late, if that, and so I am often finished seeing/dictating, and waiting for patients to arrive). Unfortunately, what it means if people show up right at 9 for the 9 am appt is that I don't get a chance to see them until 9:30, when my other patients have shown up. This ends up delaying everyone else. I can catch up during lunch, or I end up dictating at the end of the day, or I catch up the time on my F/U patients, but it pissed me off to no end.
ReplyDeleteI had a guy who showed up 25 minutes late from his actual appt time (i.e. 30 minutes after the scheduled time, but 55 minutes after the time he was asked to show up), but then spent the entire appt complaining about how long he had to wait to see me (I am a specialist, and this guy had a very common, very not-serious diagnosis). It was only my professionalism that kept me from asking why he couldn't be bothered to show up on time if he was so concerned about his disease.
We advise patients to come 15 minute prior to their appointment time. Every freaking morning, I see my first patient, the 9:00 AM patient, at around 9:25 AM. Why? They show up "on time" at 9 AM (most of the time, they stroll in at 9:05 or 9:10 AM), check in and verify insurance, get their vision and hearing tested/vitals taken/MA verify their smoking status and allergy status and enter all this into the computer. Meanwhile, I'm sitting their twiddling my thumbs. Then I see all my patients 25 minutes late due to that first patient being late. Then the patients complain why they have to show up 15 minutes early to their appointment when they have to wait 30 minutes for the doctor to come in. It's a vicious cycle. To not get so backed up, one solution I could think of for my clinic would be to have an appointment slot each half day held close to allow the doctor to get caught up. However, as I work for a corporation, my solution would get me laughed out of town. I get told I have 10 minutes to see each sick patients and 20 minutes to see a well visit. You'd be surprised how little a say your doctor has in the scheduling. You'd be surprised how little a say your doctor has in the whole functioning of the clinic. I really hate to see my patients wait. I don't enjoy looking out in the waiting room and see a roomful of patients. To say that doctors don't value their patients' time is unfair and ignorant.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly it. I show up at work at 7:55. My first patient generally is ready for me to see them by 8:30 AND they have not filled out any paperwork (even though we MAIL IT TO THEM 1-2 weeks in advance). it throws the whole day off. BUT...if a patient no-shows, or happens to be quicker than expected, and you are here early? I will see you early. So it CAN pay to come early.
DeleteMonday morning, 9:40 a.m., and I have nothing better to do than post this. My two new visit 9:00 a.m. patients have both no-showed. My 9:30 follow-up has yet to show up as well. All three were confirmed Friday afternoon. We have a no-show policy, but our clinic chooses not to enforce it beacuse our partners fear that it will anger patients and incur malicious litigation. This is unacceptable behavior.
ReplyDeleteMy clinic asks people to arrive 15 minutes early to complete paperwork. Maybe 50% of the time they actually do so. The rest of the time they show up on the hour or late. Which of course means that I end up running late and the next patient is unhappy. There's no win here.
ReplyDeleteSolution: always get the first appointment of the day or the first appointment after lunch. Every office gets off schedule immediately following the first patient of the day, without fail. Only answer is being the first patient.
ReplyDelete