Time is ticking, Doctor!
I have always been told that the best time for a doctor's appointment is either right when the office opens or right after lunch ends. Why is this? It is because that's when the doctor's schedule is least like to be backed up. All it takes is one patient visit running over time to cause a domino effect on the remainder of the schedule. This problem can then be continuously compounded as the day continues if more and more visits take longer than the allotted time. From personal observations, it seems that most follow-up patients are assigned a 15-minute time slot while new patients get a 45 or 60-minute appointment. In my mind, a 15-minute visit seems like no time at all. I mean, I have waited in line for Chipotle for way over that, and so I cannot imagine trying to fit an entire doctor's visit in that short of time. I remember when my mom was still working in health care and her specifically requesting that certain patients be given longer time slots because she knew that their visit could not be completed in 15 minutes. Putting a sometimes impossible time constraint on patient care presents many challenges to both providers and patients.
As a health care provider in training, I want to offer the best care I can to my patients. In school, we are taught a multitude of ways to connect with patients, but in practice that can be difficult due to these time constraints. On my ambulatory care rotation, I, unfortunately, witnessed the effect of these limitations as the pharmacist I was with had to rush a visit at the end because the 30-minute time clock was ticking. As someone who was shadowing, it was very clear when the pharmacist realized they only had 5 minutes left and still had a slew of questions left to ask. In my opinion, this regimented appointment system puts both the provider and the patient at a disadvantage. For example, the provider may feel like they have not been able to provide the patient with detailed and comprehensive care due to the short appointment time. This lack of engagement can then be felt by the patient and they may think the provider is brushing them off or not taking their illness(es) seriously. In my mind, this is a vicious cycle and is a real issue in healthcare.
I can understand the basis for having these appointment times, and some patients really do only need 15 minutes. However, many patients with many chronic conditions do not fit this system. The for-profit business model of health systems is a large obstacle in finding a feasible solution to this issue. However, it is promising to learn about how health systems are adopting more quality-based reimbursements rather than quantity-based reimbursements. I hope that as I continue on in my career in healthcare the landscape continues to change as such and there be no distress when finding out your doctor's appointment is in the middle of the afternoon.
As a health care provider in training, I want to offer the best care I can to my patients. In school, we are taught a multitude of ways to connect with patients, but in practice that can be difficult due to these time constraints. On my ambulatory care rotation, I, unfortunately, witnessed the effect of these limitations as the pharmacist I was with had to rush a visit at the end because the 30-minute time clock was ticking. As someone who was shadowing, it was very clear when the pharmacist realized they only had 5 minutes left and still had a slew of questions left to ask. In my opinion, this regimented appointment system puts both the provider and the patient at a disadvantage. For example, the provider may feel like they have not been able to provide the patient with detailed and comprehensive care due to the short appointment time. This lack of engagement can then be felt by the patient and they may think the provider is brushing them off or not taking their illness(es) seriously. In my mind, this is a vicious cycle and is a real issue in healthcare.
I can understand the basis for having these appointment times, and some patients really do only need 15 minutes. However, many patients with many chronic conditions do not fit this system. The for-profit business model of health systems is a large obstacle in finding a feasible solution to this issue. However, it is promising to learn about how health systems are adopting more quality-based reimbursements rather than quantity-based reimbursements. I hope that as I continue on in my career in healthcare the landscape continues to change as such and there be no distress when finding out your doctor's appointment is in the middle of the afternoon.
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