How long was your appointment?
Think about the last time you went to the doctor for any reason. Ask yourself these questions:
Were you asked to check in early to be put in a room by a nurse or medical assistant?
How long did you sit in the waiting room?
How long did you sit in the exam room before the doctor came in? Was he/she running behind?
How long did the doctor spend in the room with you?
Were all your concerns addressed?
Was there a solid follow up plan?
Did you feel heard?
Did you feel rushed?
How long does the whole process take, start to finish? Was this a productive use of your time?
I’ve experienced both sides of this - I'm a doctor and I've been a patient.
From the patient perspective, it seems like you spend ages in the waiting room just to spend a few minutes with the doctor. Often the appointment feels rushed. Most of the time the doctor is nice enough but it might feel like they are just trying to get through the day. You may have taken time off work for this appointment, or you’re using personal time for it. It might feel like your time isn't valued even though you're a paying customer. You might walk out feeling unsatisfied or maybe you remember 3 more questions that you meant to ask, but didn't, because you either forgot or you didn't want to bother the doctor who seemed really busy.
As a doctor, it can be challenging to meet everyone's expectations. You want to satisfy your patients by making them feel heard, solving their problem, improving their health, and addressing their concerns. However you are also expected to see a certain number of patients every day, not to mention complete documentation for each patient. There is also the added workload of medication refills, phone calls, messages from patients, and emails - all of which has to get done in the work day - before finally going home to be with your family.
It seems like both sides are losing. The solution? It depends who you ask. But I've made my decision - the solution is direct primary care. Longer, unrushed appointments. Fewer patients per doctor to allow personalized and timely care. This way, both parties get what they want. Everyone's time is valuable. Happy patient, and happy doctor.
