Most patients complain about the time they have to wait to see a physician.
Not only the time between an appointment and the office visit, but once there, the time it takes to actually see someone.
After internist Jan Gurley breaks down the numbers, it’s easy to see why. Primary care doctors, on average, have patient panels averaging 2,500 patients or so. Assuming full-time working doctor who only takes the 10 federal holidays off per year, “[patients] ‘own’ only (50 weeks X 40 hours, minus 10 X 8 hours, minus 50 weeks X 8 hours; divided by 2500) 36 minutes a year of [their] doctor’s time.”
That’s assuming a situation of no delays, no complications, and an efficient practice – traits that are not common in many offices.
And after citing a JAMA study concluding it takes primary care physicians about 18 hours a day to provide the spectrum of recommended preventive care tests and counseling to a typical patient, it’s no wonder that providing good health care is, as Dr. Gurley states, “physically impossible.”
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“Providing good health care is physically impossible.”
Gee, I hope there aren’t any trial lawyers reading this.
But I’m sure there are. That’s one reason I left office practice.
I understand this article is for American readers, but i must tell you this relays into uk healthcare also. the way the system works here is just awful really needs improvement
It’s currently 1-2 weeks to get in to see me. Over the last 10 years this has varied from 1 day to 4 weeks. If you can’t wait to see me, call another neurologist. I’m not offended.
I refuse to double book or use “physican extenders”. If you can’t take the time to see your own patients, do something else for a living.
I could make more money by doing the above things. But I believe that healthcare quality is more important than quantity.
I don’t necessarily think it is impossible to get good care. My doctor talks about crafts, my health and sees me every 6 months. I also get blood tests twice a year.
Like Dr. Grumpy, it takes 1-2 weeks to get into see my specialist-sooner if it’s urgent. He also does some of my primary care, those things that my PCP overlooks. He knows I am a serious athlete and considers that when making recommendations
It takes 2 months to get an appointment with my PCP-not a chance if it’s urgent. She doesn’t have time to personalize my care.
The math does not add up for me. The 2,500 average panel is just a number. There has never been any data to convince me that an annual physical is an evidence-based necessity, so that can be eliminated right there. If we could teach patients that not every sore throat requires a MD visit, that would alleviate a whole lot of unnecessary care as well. Finally, we as physicians tend to overdo the follow-up (especially when insurance is “good”). So, on every panel there should be a fairly manageable number of patients that requires appointments on any given day, opening the door to those with real urgent medical needs. I know this is potential blasphemy,but if the models are redone with this in mind, perhaps we do not have a shortage of either primary or specialty care?
You can get into my office same day, two days. Assuming I’m not away or something. Thing is, it’s my own solo practice. If you’re solo with a low overhead, you don’t need to run a patient mill.
I’ve had new patient phone calls, where the receptionist says “come on down”. Patient is shocked to hear they can some in that day. I’ve got an opening, why not. Thing is, they weren’t prepared to just show up, they thought they would have to wait a week or so.
Or they can go to the local Urgent Care. Their fee schedule is, literally, twice mine for the same service. I’ve seen it myself.
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