Jerry Seinfeld does a routine about the "waiting room" in a doctor's office. He says you are guaranteed to wait--after all that's what the room was designed for. I hate to disagree with my favorite comedian, but does it have to be that way?
The waiting is all about doctors over-scheduling their days to pack as many people into their schedule as possible, oftentimes "squeezing" people in. Who does this benefit? The doctors end up running constantly behind, which is very stressful. The patients end up waiting, which is maddening. Visits get cut short which compromises patient care. And the support staff is
overwhelmed which affects everyone. The only reason I can think of for participating in this madness is to live within the insurance model of patient care, where the only way the doctor can make a living is to see massive numbers of patients every day.
A growing number of doctors and dentists are dispensing with the entire "waiting room" concept, including the waiting. It's really quite simple to accomplish. All the doctor has to do is schedule realistically. That's it.
The doctor and the support staff all know how much time each procedure takes from greeting the patient to finishing the clean up, so all they have to do is schedule enough time for each visit. Doctors who are not under contract with insurance companies are in the best position to provide this sensible model of patient care. Since these doctors set their own fees, it usually costs a little more, but it's worth it.
The waiting is all about doctors over-scheduling their days to pack as many people into their schedule as possible, oftentimes "squeezing" people in. Who does this benefit? The doctors end up running constantly behind, which is very stressful. The patients end up waiting, which is maddening. Visits get cut short which compromises patient care. And the support staff is
overwhelmed which affects everyone. The only reason I can think of for participating in this madness is to live within the insurance model of patient care, where the only way the doctor can make a living is to see massive numbers of patients every day.
A growing number of doctors and dentists are dispensing with the entire "waiting room" concept, including the waiting. It's really quite simple to accomplish. All the doctor has to do is schedule realistically. That's it.
The doctor and the support staff all know how much time each procedure takes from greeting the patient to finishing the clean up, so all they have to do is schedule enough time for each visit. Doctors who are not under contract with insurance companies are in the best position to provide this sensible model of patient care. Since these doctors set their own fees, it usually costs a little more, but it's worth it.
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