Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

I don’t apologize for being a fast doctor

Dina D. Strachan, MD
Physician
September 30, 2016
3K Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

When we think about the technology revolution, we often get excited at the thought of getting what we want instantly. We wait in line for new smartphones. We instant message. We love fast. Getting something done faster, with as good a result, is usually seen as a virtue — unless one is a doctor.

In these times of fast information, we find ourselves bombarded with surveys. Part of the downside of this is that instead of paying attention to our own goals and experiences, we are supposed to notice and report specifics — did the barista said my name — because a third party wants to know. In medicine, we have patient satisfaction surveys and the question, “Did your doctor spend enough time with you?”

Sometimes when we ask a question, rather than an answer, another question is generated. When I hear people comment that their doctor didn’t spend enough time with them, whether they are talking about me, or someone else, I often ask, “What is enough time?”

What I find interesting is that the people who complain that they didn’t get enough time often don’t know how long “enough time” is. When I’ve looked into feedback of people who said they didn’t get enough of my time, I’ve found that I’ve often spent much more time with them than with most of my happy patients — who appreciated my efficiency. How does one address this?

As a habit, I ask patients at the end of our visit if there is “anything else?” If there are other issues, I address them. If they respond “no,” I confirm our follow up plans and say goodbye. I find the people who feel they “didn’t get enough time” sometimes say that “she didn’t answer all my questions.” Usually, these were questions that were never asked. In fact, I’ve even had patients interrupt me as I am explaining their condition, side effects, and treatment plan, to complain that I had not spent “enough time” when I wasn’t even finished. It those situations it seems that it’s the patient who is rushing — yet projecting impatience on to the doctor.   It can come across that the patient had been trained to think that they must try to put the doctor on the defense with this comment — in order to be “empowered.”

What are people really complaining about when they report they didn’t get “enough time?” I think sometimes it is an impatience with themselves.

If one were flying from New York to Los Angeles, and one were told to expect the journey to take 6 hours, would the pilot not have spent “enough time” if she were to land the plane safely at LAX in 5 hours? Instead of landing, should she instead circle the Pacific coast — to give us the 6-hour flight time we were promised?

It would be one thing if the pilot had rushed and crashed the plane. It would be one thing if the doctor rushed and didn’t complete something. If an experienced doctor can make a diagnosis quickly, and we as patients cannot, should be feel dissatisfied? Isn’t that what we hired them for?

Interestingly, most people pay lawyers by the hour, and it follows that most would describe a good lawyer as on who gets the desired results quickly. In fact, we accuse lawyers of “churning the case” when they take more time. Doctors, however, are not paid for time. Could this be why some feel they want more of the doctor’s time? Would we want more of a fast doctor’s time if the doctor were, in fact, a robot — or would we be impressed with its speed?

In the course of running my own medical practice, I have participated in a number of entrepreneur training programs. One such program introduced me to the Kolbe self-assessment. A Kolbe measures as person’s “instinctive method of operation” which helps identify how they can be most productive. There are 4 Kolbe types: fact finders (they ask questions), follow-throughs (they complete things), quick starts (they can make decisions quickly), and implementors (they enjoy the process).  We all have all of these action modes, but some are our dominant ones. One’s Kolbe cannot be changed.

My Kolbe results were not surprising. I was a quick start, but with a strong fact finder. On the one hand, these are opposite action modes. On the other, these are two qualities one needs to be a doctor. Medical education and training are the fact finding. Quick start qualities allow me to actually take action on the facts. I am a quick start with strong fact finder qualities — it won’t change. I also understand that the Kolbes of the people I interact with in the would also won’t change. How do we get satisfaction in a world with such diversity? Could it be self-knowledge.

Knowing my own Kolbe was very empowering. It has also helps to know that other people also have Kolbes.  We can’t change. I understand why some patients are thrilled when I can assess and treat them quickly whereas other may perceive the same visit as “not enough time.”

I am a doctor and a patient. I now notice the Kolbes of my own doctors — and how I respond to them. With this perspective, I would advise patients to spend “enough time” with themselves getting to know how they like to receive information and also getting clarity about what they want when seeking the help of a professional such as a doctor. Sometimes we expect doctors to address needs that are simply out of their scope of practice — they will fail no matter how much time they spend with us.   And in these times when many people live alone, work from home, shop online and consider text messaging a relationship, make sure you are getting the human contact you need. No matter how attentive your doctor is, a doctor’s visit should not be your only outlet for human interaction.

Dina D. Strachan is a dermatologist.  She can be reached at Aglow Dermatology.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The statin wars expose 2 factions in medicine

September 30, 2016 Kevin 12
…
Next

MKSAP: 51-year-old man with newly diagnosed hypertension and diabetes mellitus

October 1, 2016 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Dermatology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The statin wars expose 2 factions in medicine
Next Post >
MKSAP: 51-year-old man with newly diagnosed hypertension and diabetes mellitus

More by Dina D. Strachan, MD

  • Why is it hard to find a good dermatologist in a competitive market?

    Dina D. Strachan, MD
  • Alexithymia: patient satisfaction, doctor burnout and health care costs

    Dina D. Strachan, MD

Related Posts

  • Osler and the doctor-patient relationship

    Leonard Wang
  • Finding a new doctor is like dating

    R. Lynn Barnett
  • Doctor, how are you, really?

    Deborah Courtney
  • Be a human first and a doctor second

    Sarah Murad
  • Becoming a doctor is the epitome of delayed gratification

    Natasha Abadilla
  • International medical graduates ease the U.S. doctor shortage

    G. Richard Olds, MD

More in Physician

  • When an MBA degree meets medicine: an eye-opening experience

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • The hidden gems of health care: Unlocking the potential of narrative medicine

    Dr. Najat Fadlallah
  • The dark side of immortality: What if we could live forever?

    Ketan Desai, MD, PhD
  • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

    Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD
  • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • From solidarity to co-liberation: Understanding the journey towards ending oppression

    Maiysha Clairborne, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
    • Beyond the disease: the power of empathy in health care

      Nana Dadzie Ghansah, MD | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • A new era of collaboration between AI and health care professionals

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • When an MBA degree meets medicine: an eye-opening experience

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Why it’s time to question medical traditions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden gems of health care: Unlocking the potential of narrative medicine

      Dr. Najat Fadlallah | Physician
    • The realities of immigrant health care served hot from America’s melting pot

      Stella Cho | Policy
    • The dark side of immortality: What if we could live forever?

      Ketan Desai, MD, PhD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 17 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Doc Moms, Mind the Gap -- $3M Earning Difference by Sex
  • Clinical Note Writing App Powered by GPT-4 Set to Debut This Year
  • Helping Patients Get Fit -- One Walk at a Time
  • TB Cases Rebound to Near Pre-Pandemic Levels, CDC Data Show
  • Marginalized Groups May Benefit More From Decreasing Air Pollution

Meeting Coverage

  • Switch to IL-23 Blocker Yields Deep Responses in Recalcitrant Plaque Psoriasis
  • Biomarkers of Response With Enfortumab Vedotin in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
  • At-Home Topical Therapy for Molluscum Contagiosum Gets High Marks
  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
    • Beyond the disease: the power of empathy in health care

      Nana Dadzie Ghansah, MD | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • A new era of collaboration between AI and health care professionals

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • When an MBA degree meets medicine: an eye-opening experience

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Why it’s time to question medical traditions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden gems of health care: Unlocking the potential of narrative medicine

      Dr. Najat Fadlallah | Physician
    • The realities of immigrant health care served hot from America’s melting pot

      Stella Cho | Policy
    • The dark side of immortality: What if we could live forever?

      Ketan Desai, MD, PhD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

I don’t apologize for being a fast doctor
17 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...