What's An Acceptable Time To Wait At The Doctor's Office? (fracture, blood pressure)

[LauraC]

In your opinion, how long after your appointment time is it acceptable to wait at the doctor's office?

I'm not just talking about being moved from the waiting room into an examining room, either. I'm talking about appointment time until you actually see the doctor. Does it matter for what kind of doctor you are waiting? You know, do you cut some slack to the internist or general practitioner over the podiatrist or ophthalmologist, for example?

Do you get just as annoyed waiting for the doctor in the examining room as you do waiting in the waiting room?

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I pick my docs carefully so I wait as long as it takes. Two hours was the longest, but everyone else waited, too. The first time I saw that doc, I was hospitalized and he came at 10:00 p.m. He had one more after me to see. If he could wait that long to go home, I can wait for him.

I know my docs are excellent and caring people. If they run late, there's a good reason.

[cb at sea]

I would NEVER, EVER wait for 2 hours if I had an appointment...never!

I think, if you're TOLD that the Dr. is running behind, that 15-20 mins. is ok....more than that, they should offer to reschedule you.

Once, hubby waited over an hour, after telling the receptionist that he had another appointment.....when neither the doctor or nurse ever came into his exam room, he went to the desk, told them he had to go...and they tried to charge him!!!! Lol...of course, he didn't pay. Later we got a bill for a "missed appointment"....I called, and told them HE was there, but the DOCTOR missed the appointment and they owed US the "missed appointment" fee. They canceled the charge. Idiots.

[TFW46]

I think 20 minutes is the maximum time that a patient should be expected to wait. Of course, there can always be emergencies that run everyone else late but not on a regular basis.

My last cardiologist overbooked so much that I waited a minimum of 2 hours every single time I had an appointment. He had several large waiting rooms and his staff shuffled people among them, apparently in the belief that everyone was too ignorant to realize that they had been waiting so long. By the time I got to see him, my blood pressure was always sky high due to my irritation. After 5-6 times (yes, I'm a slow learner) I found another cardiologist.

[Ottawa2011]

Depends upon what you're used to. If you have an appointment at a GP, they can run a little behind, but 15 to 20 minutes seems flexible enough in that situation.

Anywhere else, you have to be prepared to be seen whenever they can get to you. Even specialists get urgent consultations that interrupt their daily schedules.

I've been to walk-in clinics where you take a number and wait an hour. I've been to specialist clinics at hospitals where it was much the same thing. And I've had to go to a crowded ER where I had to wait several hours just to get a cast on a hairline wrist fracture and a few stitches... I wasn't a high priority on the triage list.

[brava4]

Funny to be reading this now after the week I had last week with Drs. and waiting. Monday... went to see Orthopedic doc, waited 2.5 months to get in to see him. I get there and am told he is stuck in surgery... I waited 2.5 hrs but I HAD to see him about my knee, tried to reschedule appt., what a joke, would have to wait until mid Feb.!! So, I waited and waited.

THEN.... Friday... Eye Dr. Appt. at noon, at 12:25pm I left the exam room and asked when the Dr. would be available. Was told by desk person.. "oh maybe 5 or 10 min, she is with another patient"... I told her yeah, right that means 20-30 min. in translation. I was on a parking meter and she told me to go put more money in the meter. I told her no, I shouldn't have to do that, I had put enough to cover a visit. I left.

I have left appts. before for the waiting time and the desk people are always surprised.

[Flamingo13]

NO way would I wait for hrs. - I agree 15 mins. or so is okay (MAYBE a tad longer IF they tell you Dr. had an emergency) - otherwise, I feel like they OWE me for MY TIME!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

My 2 hr wait was due to an emergency at the hospital (pulmonologist). Told me it would be a long wait but his next open appt was about 6 weeks away. My lungs are important so I waited.

[Natsku]

I just wait as long as it takes. Usually for an appointment I'm not waiting more than 10 minutes but when I see the doctor I usually just go to the emergency room and there it can be an hour or so. I just take a book, doesn't bother me unless it turns into hours of waiting but that's not happened in years.

[Pat Answers]

I try not to be annoyed. I figure if I'm waiting it's because the dr. is taking the time talking with patient and not rushing them out and maybe they'll do the same with me. Hardest thing for me is that I can't get up and walk back and forth (something I do when nervous). I would check with the desk if it got to be 30 -40 minutes. I don't go to dr. if it's not important, so if I leave, at some point I'll just have to come back and begin all over again.

DH went to an appointment with an office that is notoriously bad at scheduling their appointments, changing things when one has come back for something else then not telling us that next appointment has been cancelled. Once he signed in, sat down, fell asleep, a whole while longer he woke up and checked, and was not even scheduled, even though we had the appointment card here at home. Sheesh! That was really annoying.