Have you ever wondered why you aren’t being seen at your exact appointment time? Waiting at the doctor’s office can be frustrating, but sometimes it’s not always for the reason you might think. Here are a few reasons why you may be waiting to be seen by our physicians and what role you can play in preventing it.
Patients arriving late. When a patient arrives late it can throw the rest of the clinic off schedule. The later you check in, the later you are roomed, and the later you see the physician. You can help avoid this by arriving early.
Unprepared patients. When patients arrive unprepared, it’s almost the same as being late. Make sure you bring all instructed information with you (insurance cards, id, etc.), complete any paperwork ahead of time, and bring a list of questions you intend on asking the doctor in order to be prepared. Stopping clinical staff to ask questions after your appointment prevents them from taking care of the next patient.
Complex diagnosis. From time to time our physicians will encounter patients with complex diagnosis. When this happens, the physician may require more time than anticipated due to additional questions and explanation regarding treatment. Rest assure, if you are or ever become one of these patients, our physicians will take the extra time with you as well.
