Why do doctors offices make you wait so long?

The more people that doctors have to see in a short period, the more likely they are to get behind schedule. Some patients need more attention, making their appointments take longer. So when practice staff accidentally over schedules, it doesn’t allow enough time to attend to these patients.

How long is too long to wait in a waiting room?

How long should you have to wait to see a doctor? Fifteen minutes? Doesn’t sound unreasonable to me, and one medical practice consultant says, “Research shows that an acceptable waiting time for patients is 15 minutes, 20 maximum, and if patients wait longer, they’re really irritated.”

Why are doctors late for appointments?

There are many legitimate reasons doctors run late, including patients who themselves are late or who may divulge during a routine appointment that they’re having chest pains. Moreover, 15-minute slots are utilized too frequently, often not providing the physician sufficient time.

Can you bill your doctor for being late?

Doctors should apologize for delays. And if presented with an invoice for excessive waiting, doctors should gladly pay the fee. Fortunately, most patients don’t bill at the doctor’s hourly rate.

What is the average wait time for a doctor’s appointment?

Well, the average patient wait time for healthcare organizations across the country is around 20 minutes—and that just won’t fly for a large portion of patients we surveyed.

What happens when you don’t address patient wait times?

Practices that fail to address these wait-time frustrations stand to lose up to 48\% of their patient base in a year—and that’s not counting potential patients who avoid your practice after learning about long wait times through online reviews.

How long can you Wait in an exam room?

In an exam room no longer than 20 minutes. You shouldn’t be brought into an exam room if you aren’t due to be examined shortly. However, in a waiting room, you shouldn’t be left with no information but there are situations where you could wait over an hour.

How often do patients complain about wait times at your practice?

Twenty-five percent said “daily” and 28\% said “at least once a week.” Given this finding, we weren’t surprised to learn that over half of physicians we surveyed have heard negative feedback from patients about wait times at their practice.