Doctor was 45 minutes late after appointment time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many reasons doc run late that have nothing to do with actual appointment times. They really are often doing their very best and skipping lunch to catch up. I’m sorry you had to wait. Someone should have let you know they were behind too. Extend compassion as we often receive the same in kind when having very human moments.

For a doctor who couldn't bring himself to apologize for keeping someone waiting, and who got upset at the idea that someone else's time might be worth something too? Compassion seems a little excessive.

Are you always this melodramatic, or only on DCUM?

Don't bother answering. The answer is clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8 week old had a well check and the ped was running 90 minutes behind for a 10:30am appointment. How does that happen? When we finally saw her she spent 6 minutes with us and we were on our way. She was even charting during our appointment. I asked several times how much longer but it was always 10 more minutes. I hate having such a tiny baby there for so long with the number of sick kids.

Was this CMG by any chance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If needed, you could have reasonably come out at the 20 minute mark and asked what’s up or to be rescheduled.

We waited longer than that at our pediatric practice the other day. It was SLAMMED. Lots going on, lots of illness. Doctors and nurses still burned out and staffing shortages following COVID. You are OK.

I came out at 30 minutes and asked and was told, "He'll be in a minute.". Fifteen minutes he showed up. I had already wasted 3/4 of an hour waiting. Their burn out should not be the problem of patients. My appt.
was 9 a.m., supposedly 2nd patient. This was orthopedist so no emergencies.

Be glad you were not the first patient then. It sounds like they are having a tough go if it went over that long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 8 week old had a well check and the ped was running 90 minutes behind for a 10:30am appointment. How does that happen? When we finally saw her she spent 6 minutes with us and we were on our way. She was even charting during our appointment. I asked several times how much longer but it was always 10 more minutes. I hate having such a tiny baby there for so long with the number of sick kids.

That’s so hard. We’ve experienced that as well. And my pelvic floor was not in great shape at the time so stress incontinence and needing to nurse in office. Thankfully there was nothing remarkable to note at wellness check and we could go home knowing all was well. We did eventually change practices but most peds run late fwiw.

I would be finding a new practice. Ours schedules well checks at a specific time of day to reduce germ exposure, particularly for newborns. It was always midday. By the same token any same-day sick appointments are always at the end of the day like 4 pm or later. It's a good system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many reasons doc run late that have nothing to do with actual appointment times. They really are often doing their very best and skipping lunch to catch up. I’m sorry you had to wait. Someone should have let you know they were behind too. Extend compassion as we often receive the same in kind when having very human moments.

For a doctor who couldn't bring himself to apologize for keeping someone waiting, and who got upset at the idea that someone else's time might be worth something too? Compassion seems a little excessive.

Are you always this melodramatic, or only on DCUM?

Don't bother answering. The answer is clear.

I see OP’s point of view. I’ve been left waiting by one particular doctor on numerous occasions for no good reason. His nurse told me once, I don’t know why he schedules patients at 8. He is never here before 9. So for stuff like that, I have no sympathy. This is not a guy who sees sick patients BtW.

There are of course pediatricians and GPs who try to see sick patients and I have more understanding towards them.

[Anonymous]

Patients are called “PATIENTS” for a reason….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8 week old had a well check and the ped was running 90 minutes behind for a 10:30am appointment. How does that happen? When we finally saw her she spent 6 minutes with us and we were on our way. She was even charting during our appointment. I asked several times how much longer but it was always 10 more minutes. I hate having such a tiny baby there for so long with the number of sick kids.

That’s insane. I walk out if I’ve been waiting an hour. Unless it’s a specialist. I’ve walked out of OB and ped appointments after waiting an hour. I’ve also changed practices because of this.

[Anonymous]

I had an Ortho show up 40 minutes late once. I was his first appointment of the day. I saw him arrive while sitting in the waiting room. I asked him why I was kept waiting so long and he lied and said he’d been stuck with another patient. I told him that I saw him walk past me with his coat on his arm and a cup of coffee.. Never went back to him again. This was at CAO Ortho in foxhall.

[Anonymous]

Hey 0P I understand, waiting is frustrating. But you can’t possibly think it’s because of “greedy doctors“ can you? Do you understand the doctors don’t set the schedules? This is done by practice managers and administration. Providers ARE doing their best and are given impossible expectations to try and meet. My patients are scheduled every 10 minutes, including new patients, including older patients with complicated health issues. I am expected to see people who roll in 20 minutes late. I’m expected to see emergency visits to get put in the schedule as double booked appointments. Providers who work in larger systems do not control their schedules. And their schedules are not created by people who provide medical care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had an Ortho show up 40 minutes late once. I was his first appointment of the day. I saw him arrive while sitting in the waiting room. I asked him why I was kept waiting so long and he lied and said he’d been stuck with another patient. I told him that I saw him walk past me with his coat on his arm and a cup of coffee.. Never went back to him again. This was at CAO Ortho in foxhall.

Does he see patients at hospital?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many reasons doc run late that have nothing to do with actual appointment times. They really are often doing their very best and skipping lunch to catch up. I’m sorry you had to wait. Someone should have let you know they were behind too. Extend compassion as we often receive the same in kind when having very human moments.

For a doctor who couldn't bring himself to apologize for keeping someone waiting, and who got upset at the idea that someone else's time might be worth something too? Compassion seems a little excessive.

So you wanted him to spend a bunch of time apologizing and getting further behind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had an Ortho show up 40 minutes late once. I was his first appointment of the day. I saw him arrive while sitting in the waiting room. I asked him why I was kept waiting so long and he lied and said he’d been stuck with another patient. I told him that I saw him walk past me with his coat on his arm and a cup of coffee.. Never went back to him again. This was at CAO Ortho in foxhall.

Does he see patients at hospital?

This is a good point. Some ortho have to round prior to returning to clinic.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with you, OP. It is incredibly disrespectful and drives me crazy. The LEAST the doctor can do is apologize.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you should consider concierge medicine OP. Unfortunately that’s the way it’s going, and concierge have to be more invested in customer service. Physicians taking insurance have to see many appointments and are in high demand. You can switch drs but they probably don’t really care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If needed, you could have reasonably come out at the 20 minute mark and asked what’s up or to be rescheduled.

We waited longer than that at our pediatric practice the other day. It was SLAMMED. Lots going on, lots of illness. Doctors and nurses still burned out and staffing shortages following COVID. You are OK.

I came out at 30 minutes and asked and was told, "He'll be in a minute.". Fifteen minutes he showed up. I had already wasted 3/4 of an hour waiting. Their burn out should not be the problem of patients. My appt.
was 9 a.m., supposedly 2nd patient. This was orthopedist so no emergencies.

You think no one has emergency ortho surgery in the middle of the night? Really? Say it with a straight face.