If you need more than 5 minutes with your practitioner, ask for it. They can bill your insurance company for an extended appointment.

If you don’t like the 5-minute appointment, blame the insurance companies who are squeezing medical professionals. Don’t blame them.

On a side note about waiting in the doctor’s office its been stated that emergency situations come up, and that’s true. I’d say though that more often then that the cause for health care provider’s to be running behind is the build up of multiple patients showing up on time give or take five minutes and then having to fill out the paper work. Most visits require either the initial paper work or the updating to previous paper work. If more people showed up 10 to 15 minutes before their appointment there might not be so much of a delay. A cause of Dr’s overbooking is often related to last minute cancellations or “no show’s” and the dependability of this occurance from experience.

Yes, generic drugs are not precisely the same as brand name. The rules are slack, with the FDA only requiring “test-tube” equivalence +/- 20% of the brand name agent. That said, generics make it possible for millions of people to afford life-prolonging and improving drugs they could not otherwise take. Ask anyone who has had to make the choice between their drugs and heating their home and ask if they think generics are a good thing.

Trent, overall, thanks for the comments. I share the reservations of others about adding on “routine bloodwork”. I would also say that I cannot stress how helpful it is to try and think about the quality and timing of your complaint before coming in. I cannot count how many patients I have seen that complain of pain here, there, and everywhere, but cannot elaborate in the slightest making it nearly impossible for me to do anything but stab in the dark about what the diagnosis is and how to treat it.

Thanks for everything you do on TSD, I love the blog!

Dr. Dave, MD

One thing which I don’t think has been mentioned is that it seems to me that doctors also deal with the unexpected (not necessarily emergencies) which can take longer. While it hasn’t happened often, there have been some times I’ve gone in with what I thought was one thing only to have the Doctor take some extra time or precautions to rule out or confirm something else.

Diagnosis isn’t an easy thing. How many diseases start with a fever? Sometimes indegestion can indicate a lot more than just an upset stomach. Frankly, the best you can do is be upfront with all the symptoms, ask questions, ask when and what effects you should be getting from the treatment, and how long, if nothing changes, you should wait before getting back to them.

The vast majority of my colleagues won’t take any prescription drugs that don’t have generic equivalents; the risks of new drugs are just too high. And that means we never have occasion to need samples. Drugs that have been on the market long enough to have generic equivalents are safer, and you’re safer staying away from physicians who are willing to let drug company sales reps tell them what to prescribe.

I’ll get off the soapbox. The other advice was good, especially the comment about patience. I’ve been in the position of needing emergency care and causing everyone else behind me a hour delay, and I now appreciate a long wait to see a physician because it means I’m basically healthy.

I agree with much of what has been said.

My sister is a hand surgeon, and she gets frustrated when patients show up half an hour late to on appointment. She has to go to several different offices and is on a tight schedule. That is one of the reasons why other patients end up waiting.

I think doctors are kinder now, as they tell me what they are going to do, with “this might pinch, or this might sting.”

I hate having my blood drawn and look away and engage the person drawing the blood in conversation.

Best Wishes,
Francine

That said, I agree with much that has been posted, so I will not repeat it.

I wanted to add that my sister is a hand surgeon (I am so proud of her! It was a long, tough road). Her biggest frustration is patients are often quite late. She works at several offices, and is on a tight schedule. When she has to leave to go to the next office, she has to leave, with Chicago suburban traffic, and all. That is one of the reasons why patients end up waiting, and it is not fair to the later patients.

Doctors are more compassionate today, as they now tell me what they are going to do, and warn me “this might pinch, or this might sting.”

I hate having my blood drawn, and I find it helpful to look away and engage the person drawing my blood in conversation.

Best Wishes,
Francine

We also tend to forget that sometimes when we come in for what we think is one thing, the doctor can recognize something else entirely. So there are those going in for what they think is a simple thing only to have the Doctor extend their exam to rule out possible serious issues. I can think of one occasion where they hooked me up to a heart monitor to make sure the pains I was having were not the result of a heart condition. That extended the visit a bit.

Finally, never feel like a whiner. If you’ve got an issue, get it taken care of. If you’ve got a question or issues you forgot to mention when setting up the appointment, go ahead and bring it up (just please remember to try to include such things the next time). Don’t risk yourself or walk out forgetting something if you can help it. It’s ultimately better (especially for you) than taking up everyones time by making another appointment when you could have covered it in this one. Just try not to make a habit of it.

>>It’s better to deal with all of your concerns in one appointment than to “let it slide” and have to come back at a later time for another appointment.

This may have already been mentioned, i don’t have time to read others comments today unfortunately: Be wary, because i have been told by medical professionals (including doctors) that this is not a good idea and makes their job very difficult. They much prefer problems to be dealt with in different sessions, even if that means two appointments within a fortnight. Obviously this doesn’t apply when symptoms may be connected, but if you’re storing things up for one visit, that’s not good. :)

Otherwise, good article.

1. Beforehand, to organize your symptoms and concerns, so you can discuss them efficiently (this has already been mentioned by several posters).

2. During the visit, to help you remember what the doctor said. It’s very easy under the stress of the examination to forget half or more of what was discussed and recommended.