Long waits for doctor's appointments

[carolynjane]

I read last week that Cathe said she got the first available appointment with the doctor she needs to see for her injury - March 30- almost two weeks!

I was thinking about this because the amount of time it takes to get in to see a doctor is really getting to be an issue! I called my doctor last year because I suddenly found a big knot on the side of my face. I was scared to death - and also running a fever - and they said it would be two weeks! What is the logic in waiting TWO WEEKS to see a doctor when you are sick TODAY???? I went to a walk-in clinic - luckily it turned out to be an infection (and swollen lymph gland) that went away with antibiotics. But I would much prefer to see my regular doctor than some strange doctor I have never seen before.

I called a week ago Monday about another problem, and my doctor's appoinment is Tuesday (tomorrow) - more than a week later!

Why do doctors take on so many patients that there is no way they can see you when you are really sick and need to get in that day? Then you are left having to go the emergency room (which hospitals say they hate) or a walk in clinic where the doctor knows nothing about your medical history.

Is anyone else perturbed by this situation?

 

[fit_fairy]

I can almost understand why specialists take a while to see. There are too few of them usually. But your Primary Care Provider should be able to get in you much quicker than that for an illness.

Our healthcare system in this country is a mess. We spend more $$$ on healthcare than any other country and still have some of the sickest people.

Healthcare is now "consumer" oriented. And I guess untill we the customer start to do something- like switch who we see if it's an inappropriate wait- then it won't change.

Sorry to ramble on

Catherine

 

[Miss Lee]

I can understand your frustration. The fact of the matter is, there is also a shortage of primary care physicians in many areas of the country. In my hometown you can't even make an appointment with your primary care doc--that's how swamped they are. What you have to do is call, then they will call you when something comes open. And forget about switching doctors---if you have a doctor another doctor will not take you. This town has about 5 or 6 primary care docs for a population of roughly 25,000. It's a terrible situation and I don't see it getting any better. There are many changes that need to be made. Tort reform would be a good place to start because doctors can no longer afford the exorbitant rates for malpractice insurance.

Not that it will make you feel any better, but a 2 week wait is nothing compared to most other countries. I can tell you for a fact that the hospital where my DH works has more MRI scanners than can be found in the entire city of London, England.

Michele

 

[akizora]

One of the inane methods of compensation that managed care has brought is 'capitation,' in which primary care MDs are paid a set fee per month per patient that has declared them as their primary care physician. So, if your MD carries 500 patients per month, they will receive for example $10 each, or $5000, regardless of whether that patient was seen in clinic or not. In that instance it's to their benefit to sign up as many folks as possible, and preferably young healthy folks, potentially creating long wait times at busy times of the year. Before you dismiss your MD as greedy though, consider that the average primary care doc only makes about $140K per year, works 80 hours a week, is paying off a mind-spinning amount of student loans, and has missed their kid's birthday every year for the past 5 years because of a patient emergency. With specialists, it's often hard to get an appointment because there are few of them despite the need. I wonder if Dermatology doesn't do this on purpose to create a supply and demand situation that favors them financially. Surgeons just want to operate, for both financial and philosophical reasons, so they will schedule as little clinic time as possible. They should have a nurse practitioner to see you though.

In the past I never understood why you wait so long to see the doctor, why they get so behind during the day, etc. But now working in a hospital for a coupla years, and seeing all of the emergencies that pop up throughout the day, and the train wreck patients that walk in needing serious interventions, I think it's amazing that they have any time at all to see anyone else!

Amy:+