PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — We have all experienced it — sitting in the reception area, waiting for someone to call us by name to be seen by the doctor, so we can relocate to an examination room and sit and wait some more.
The delays can be frustrating and anxiety provoking for everyone involved. Recent studies find that two medical office best practices can help the situation.
The first is for the office to create a firm policy regarding respect for the time of appointment. A key component of this is not putting a patient who is late ahead of patients who are on time.
Physicians also need to consider that certain patients may require more time than the scheduled appointment would indicate.
Many practices are turning to something called "open access" — periods of time during the day when people can walk in to be seen without an appointment. This allows the convenience of an urgent care clinic but with a provider who follows a patient over time rather than interacting with a patient for a one-time visit.
Ask if your doctor offers that "open access" option. A growing number of physicians do.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
