What's up with the wait at the doctor's office?
I've tried all aspects of the game.
I've arrived early for my appointment, thinking if I'm there early, all the paperwork can be completed and I should get in on my scheduled time.
I've also taken the approach of arriving just in time for the standard half-hour wait hoping squander less of my day in the waiting room. But either way, I still find myself waiting sometimes as much as an hour.
So, this morning, as I sat waiting for my doctor, I started thinking about other service industries and what are considered generally acceptable wait times.
Take the service industry. Albeit a less vital and profitable service, but long waits, especially when a reservation is made, are simply unacceptable. Customers will most definitely spend their dollar elsewhere and tell everyone and anyone about their experience. This being the case, restaurants and bars spend hours training staff and considering methods to optimize efficiency.
Granted, your bartender or waitress probably didn't spend years in school learning to make the perfect martini and they most certainly aren't pulling in a six-figure salary. So, maybe health care and hospitality don't make for the best comparison.
Then, I thought about education. Again, students pay a pretty penny for a degree from a college or university and professors are thought to have a certain level of acquired knowledge setting them apart from the general public.
Students would never stand for a professor that showed up 10 or 15 minutes late every class. Remember the five-minute rule?
More importantly, the university would never stand for it.
So, why are we always waiting at the doctor's office?
As someone who for years bought independent health insurance, I understand exactly how expensive it is. I'm in no way advocating for skimping on health care. I don't want my doctor to simply glance at my chart or for my nurse to rush through my medical history in order to get to the next patient.
But there should be some pressure to work out the kinks. Let's have better health care and more of it.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Maureen Post grew up in Wauwatosa. A lover of international and urban culture, Maureen received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After living on the east side of Madison for several years, Maureen returned to Milwaukee in 2006.
After a brief stint of travel, Maureen joined OnMilwaukee.com as the city’s oldest intern and has been hooked ever since. Combining her three key infatuations, Milwaukee’s great music, incredible food and inspiring art (and yes, in that order), Maureen’s job just about fits her perfectly.
Residing in Bay View, Maureen vehemently believes the city can become fresh and new with a simple move across town.
