Faster, better…

Posts Tagged ‘doctor’

(New York Post via Drudge via Digg) COULD actress Natasha Richardson’s tragic death have been prevented if her skiing accident had occurred in America rather than Canada?

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My time is as valuable as his so after one hour in the waiting room chair I got up and left. Yesterday I had a routine office appointment. A few days earlier this doctor’s office called me to remind me. Great. I was about fifteen minutes early. More times than I can remember arriving early has been a benefit to me and the doctor so to respect his time I always arrive a bit early. I signed in. The receptionist never looked up.

Over the next hour, those of us in the waiting room were subjected to an obnoxious day-time television program. Ignoring the TV as best I could, I scanned every magazine I could find but started to feel like some appreciable time had already passed. Lots of folks had gone in ahead of me. A nice lady sitting nearby looked at me and said, “What time was your appointment?” I said, “Two-thirty.” She said mine was at Two.” When I asked what time it was she said just after three o’clock.

I got up after sitting there for an hour and told the receptionist I was leaving and to reschedule me. My daily errands, being home in time to greet my spouse when she got home from work were all timed and based on the agreed upon appointment time. Already I had wasted one hour of my day in the waiting room. A new appointment was scheduled twenty days out. There was no apology and no regret expressed.

I believe that patients have a right to know when the doctor is way behind schedule. This office made no attempt whatsoever to set my expectations. When I rescheduled I didn’t appreciate the stares or the attitude. I could tell they felt my time couldn’t be nearly as important as the doctor’s. Well I’m done being treated like a faceless name when I PAY for a professional service. I’m sick of being treated like I should be privileged that I’m allowed to be their customer. Keep me waiting I’ll either reschedule or find a new doctor.