The egg-timer office visit

Sad, but not surprising – as doctors cram more patients they see during the day, staying on time is a must:

Some of Dr. Trent Dusang’s patients have transferred their medical care over to him because their old doctors would set an egg timer at the beginning of their visit, then leave when the buzzer went. Time was up . . .

. . . While egg buzzers in doctors’ offices are rare, more doctors are posting signs asking patients to limit the number of medical issues dealt with in a single office visit to one.

One woman, who had trusted her doctor with her health and that of her family for 25 years, complained to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. She had been discharged from the doctor’s practice because she often came in with more than one health problem.

The sign in her doctor’s office read: “Due to a significant increase in patient waiting times, the doctors in this office will ONLY deal with ONE medical problem per office visit. If you are not in agreement with this policy, we will be pleased to transfer your medical record to another physician of your choice.”

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