Why do doctors make you wait so much?

Why? Because there is limited availability on the schedule so instead of making you wait until the next available appointment which is 3 weeks away you are double or tripled booked at that time slot. Medical provider schedules are usually created in 4 hours blocks with time slots.

Why are doctors appointments 15 minutes?

In 1992, Medicare made the decision that a typical doctor’s visit length should be 15-minutes. In an attempt to reduce the variability in physician fees, Medicare adopted the “relative value unit” (RVU) formula as a way to calculate these fees and promote consistency.

Do doctors double book?

But it is often a very difficult and destructive thing to do. The term “double booking” and the way it looks in an ordinary doctor’s scheduling grid suggest that the physician might possibly be expected to be in two places at the same time. That is hardly ever the case for those of us who are mere mortals.

Are doctors in too big of a hurry?

But when it comes to time, there is a stubborn feeling that doctors are in too big of a hurry. That is troubling — and frustrating — to physicians like Shore who feel that they are already packing more into every workday and are stretched thin by paperwork.

Why do doctors have to see so many patients?

Medicare and health insurance companies do not reimburse primary care services well, so in order to make a profit, physicians are required to see more patients and more quickly, whether they like it or not. Let me be clear: This is not about greed (despite what some of you have suggested).

Do doctors spend enough time examining patients?

Patients continue to complain that physicians don’t spend enough time examining and talking with them. To physician Larry Shore of My Health Medical Group in San Francisco, it’s no surprise that patients give doctors low marks for time and attention.

How many patients should a primary care doctor see in an hour?

Reimbursement rates for a primary care visit are notoriously low, and Shore laments the need to hustle patients in and out. “When you have that pressure to see three, four, maybe five patients an hour, you can’t wait for the exposition of the patient’s story. Which is exactly what you should do.