Here at Hollowbrook Foot Specialists, we try very hard not to overbook our office, so our schedule almost always runs smoothly and on time. Even so, sometimes things happen that cause us to run late.
Ever wonder why you have to wait in the doctor’s office?
I am sure you are like everyone else who can’t understand why you have to wait so long for the doctor.
Here are some of the most common reasons why our schedule can get thrown off:
There is a real emergency
Someone comes into the office with profuse bleeding, a broken bone, or in agony. This is a real emergency and we have to stop everything to help this patient.
Someone has an urgent problem
Sometimes a patient will call with an urgent problem – not a real emergency, but something that needs to be treated today.
A good example of this is an infected wound.
If someone has an infection, they really should be seen the same day. We try to reserve special times for those patients, but sometimes we get more of those calls than we could ever reasonably expect. This quickly throws our schedule off.
A patient arrives late for their appointment
Patients who arrive late for their appointment push our schedule behind. If you come in 15 minutes late and want to be seen, then everyone who follows you will be seen 15 minutes later than scheduled.
We understand that sometimes there is a car accident, or a traffic jam – but if you time your arrival too close to your appointment time, there is a greater chance that something will delay you.
We will try to squeeze you in (if our schedule permits), but sometimes we just have to reschedule your appointment.
A patient arrives one hour early for their appointment
If you come in one hour early and expect to be seen, you just delay everyone for the next hour. It gets even harder when that patient gets frustrated as people who arrive on time are being seen ahead of them. Some patients are very understanding, but some patients just don’t understand.
If you arrive very early, please be tolerant as the patients who are scheduled ahead of you are seen.
A patient calls with a single problem but ends up wanting multiple problems treated
We allot a certain amount of time for your appointment based on what you tell us when you schedule it. We understand that other problems do come up. We try to give patients the proper amount of time when scheduled. If patients want more issues addressed, then our schedule can go over.
We try to help patients with whatever concerns them, but sometimes we just can’t.
It is important to let our staff know ALL the problems that you want the doctor to look at. If you only tell them some of the issues, you will not have enough time to talk with the doctor. You might have to make another appointment that you were not planning on.
The secret appointment times with the least waiting
There are two secret appointment times when there is rarely a wait.
- take our first appointment of the day
- make an appointment right after we get back from lunch
The closer you get to the beginning of the day’s schedule, the less chances you will have to wait.
We don’t want you to wait
The last thing you should know is that no doctor wants to see a lot of people waiting in the doctor’s office. Doctor’s want to be on time for everyone’s appointment. Running behind schedule is not only stressful for you, but for the doctor, too. Our goal is to address all your concerns without long wait times.
We try our very best to schedule our patients so that everyone is seen at their scheduled time.
You can help.
The Top 5 Ways to Avoid Waiting In The Doctor’s Office
- When you call us, please try to tell us all of your concerns.
- Take the first appointment of the day.
- Take the first appointment after our lunch.
- If you are a new patient or it has been a while since we have seen you, we need your medical information updated. To speed up your visit, download our forms online and fill them out before you arrive.
- Arrive a few minutes before your scheduled appointment time.
Be patient and understanding with us. We will reward you with excellent care that you can brag to your friends and family about.
Our friendly staff will be more than happy to schedule you for your next appointment. Give our office a call at (845) 298-9074
Hollowbrook Foot Specialist serving the Hudson Valley from Wappingers Falls.
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