Part 5: The Top Five Reasons Why Patients Are Dissatisfied
In a recent patient survey in our medical group, there were five areas of dissatisfaction that were identified. This is the last of the top five reasons.5. Waiting time in the reception area is too long (8.4%)
Reception area? I thought it was called the Waiting Room. Being a medical provider, and also having numerous opportunities of being a patient, this would be number one on my list. I absolutely hate waiting with a bunch of sick people.
When I go to the clinic, I enter through the employee entrance that just happens to go through the Lab Waiting Room (sorry, Reception area). Perhaps people are bored or anxious, but my entrance through the door creates some sort of diversion. Everyone, I repeat, everyone, stares and watches me as I walk through this area. I have always been taught that staring is impolite, but I have recently started staring back at them.
People are leafing through magazines or Watchtower flyers dropped off by Jehovah Witnesses, catalogs of classes offered at the community college, or yesterday's newspaper. A few are pounding away at laptops; teens have their iPods in their ears. Most are staring at me as their only form of entertainment. Perhaps I should dance? There is usually someone talking out loud on their cell phones.
"Yes, I still have that oozing rash. I am here at the lab to get some tests to see how contagious it is. What are you up to?"
In pediatrics, we have two waiting areas; one for the sick kids and one for the well ones. The receptionist and the parent usually decide which area is for them. We have another room that we use for "rashes," mostly to rule out varicella (chicken pox). There is usually someone in there with a non-contagious skin eruption, like eczema.
I always feel sorry for the people in the Sick Waiting Area. They could easily come in with one illness and leave with another. We do not charge extra for this service. Well adults are usually sitting with their sick kids wondering what they will catch. There are televisions with movies playing to make waiting more bearable, at least for the kids.
In the sick area, there are always plenty of "buffer" chairs separating the sick kids from the other sick kids and lots of hand sanitizer being used. Meanwhile, over on the well side, children are freely interacting. Since most viral illnesses are contagious a day BEFORE you know you are sick, our Well Waiting Area should probably be renamed, "Kids that are not sick... yet."
Any time spent in a waiting room or reception area is too long in my opinion. We have many celebrity patients, mostly highly-recognizable NBA basketball stars who often bring in their kids. So that the other well-meaning people will not hound them for autographs, we tend to bring them back quickly. I sure wish that I was seven feet tall sometimes, but when medical providers become patients, we are treated exactly the same as everyone else. We sit there and try to be a patient patient. When the receptionist looks up, we smile and glance at our watches, trying to portray that hurried look. It doesn't ever work.
I heard a comedian say that he claims to have chest pain when he goes to the ER so he can get prompt service. As soon as they get him to the back, he claims his chest pain is better now, but his finger (the real reason for the visit) is really sore. I don't recommend this approach, but people do change the reason(s) for their visit. This is one of the major reason medical provider tend to get behind. We call them "Oh, by the way..." issues.
Yesterday, I had a mother bring in a teenager for a headache. No sooner than I started to take the medical history regarding this headache, she brought up a good half-dozen other issues. Perhaps she felt this would better fill up the idle time I would have during this 15 minute visit. In addition to those headaches, there was back pain, a rash on her leg, a changing mole on her back, menstrual cramps, and ingrowing toenails.
Since I could not possibly devote the two hours needed to adequately cover these issues, we had to negotiate some to a future visit. To be nice, I spent twice as long on this visit as planned, arranging for her to return for the less "critical issues." Even after that, she pulled out some immunization records for me to review and a sport participation form she wanted completed. On the outside, I smile. Inside? Aaarrrghhhh!
There is nothing more pleasurable for me than seeing a patient promptly; on-time. As soon as my nurse finishes her part, I like to shoot right in before the door even closes, much to patient's amazement. Unfortunately, I can't always be as prompt, but I try my best.
"Wow, that was fast."
"I thought I would try and make up for all of those times you had to wait."
She takes out her list.
I smile.
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Labels: medical practice
3 Comments:
I hate waiting in waiting/reception rooms too. I just take along Sudoku puzzles or a book or even homework or other work to do. It keeps me occupied for the time being.
I like how you have two separate waiting rooms. I wish more and more offices would do this. I think every year when I go in for a physical I end up back in the office a week later with strep or some other illness.
My medical group likes to get patients in the exam rooms as quickly as possible. Instead of waiting in the waiting area, I end up waiting in the little exam room to see the doctor. I hate this. I would much rather wait in the waiting area where there are more magazines and other people to talk with.
I have 12 specialist. They're all different, quite frankly I use the time in the waiting room to snooze since my own schedule is so hectic and I don't get much time to myself. If you're going to make someone wait, get some comfortable chairs. My eye surgeon has two waiting rooms, okay, but the second needs to be larger, everybody's squished in. Most of them try hard to get folk in and out, but usually without much success. A good thing might be to mail the forms you want people to fill out to them in advance or at least offer, it takes me an hour to fill out all I am dealing with. I do that to help my timing and usually the staff is appreciative. Gives the doctor more time to spend on all the illnesses I've listed. I make copies of my drivers license and medical insurance card for them too. List what's on your mind too, that way, like I've done too many times I don't have to keep trying to remember that one special thing I need to tell them when I get there. The next time your walking through and everyone glares at you, in a hearty voice say Goodmorning, how's everybody today? Keep walking, don't stop, they just want you to acknowledge them and it's just simple courtesy. Let's face it, you've probably seem them butt naked and they may be thinking your having a good chuckle as you walk through!
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