Among Friends

[Mom2Dogs]

I waited 30 minutes for an x-ray at the doctor (chiropractor) today.....the doctor takes walk ins as well as appointments and I have had them explain to me several times how it works but to me it makes no sense.

If I have an appointment and 6 people just 'walk in' before my appointment they go before me....does that make sense?  I will try to understand both sides of the argument.

Like I said I waited 30 minutes....the doctor came out, called me back, gave me a gown...I expressed my feelings about the wait, he apologized and tried to explain it to me again. Then his assistant came in (she also works the front desk) took the x-ray, which took 5 minutes and I left...fuming!

Now why would they make patients wait for the doctor when the assistant takes the xray?

[Moonchilde]

Both low end hair salons like Supercuts, and nail spas do exactly this - you can make an appointment, but it doesn't mean much - they actually take whoever is there before you physically.

It sounds like your chiropractor's practice isn't doing well financially and he doesn't want to take a chance on missing a single buck. For a medical professional, I find that tacky.

Unless his charges are very cheap or you feel he works wonders for you no one else can, I'd find another chiropractor who honors his appointments if I were you.

[GCR18]

They probably shouldn't take apps if they don't honor them.  My chiropractor will take people early.  If I had a 1pm appt and the 115pm got there at 1255pm and I wasn't there, they would go first.  It annoys me a little.  They know me and know I've never been late.

[Mom2Dogs]

The place is pretty busy so I don't think he is hurting but I have already decided to check out the other chiropractor in my town...we have several and I know one other takes walks in too, not sure about the one I am calling in the morning....

The way he explained it to me is the walk in's don't always know what time they are getting off work so it works for them...I gave him a confused look and said I take the time to make an appointment and most people do know what time they get off work.  A lot of the people I see in the office work in factories and I know they have a set beginning and end to their work day!

I don't have to visit the chiropractor often and this latest issue has lasted 2 months...longer than most episodes.  I cannot believe other patients don't find this really irritating!

[millieshops]

30 minutes is a long wait - seems as if only an emergency should be the reason for that to happen most of the time.

I can see why they take someone in for treatment if they walk in and there's an empty treatment bed. That's highly unlikely to cause a 30 minute wait  - at least not the way my doctor works.  No explanation for their taking evey walk-in ahead of their appointments would please me.  I'd be checking other offices.  Not threatening, not running elsewhere, but looking!

[Mom2Dogs]

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@millieshops wrote:

30 minutes is a long wait - seems as if only an emergency should be the reason for that to happen most of the time.

I can see why they take someone in for treatment if they walk in and there's an empty treatment bed. That's highly unlikely to cause a 30 minute wait  - at least not the way my doctor works.  No explanation for their taking evey walk-in ahead of their appointments would please me.  I'd be checking other offices.  Not threatening, not running elsewhere, but looking!

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@millieshops...the funny thing is  there is one doctor...he uses the same room over and over....it's a revolving door...what irked me the most is the assistant could have taken me in as soon as I arrived but no...they let me sit for a full 30 minutes....why a patient must wait for the doctor before getting an x ray I don't understand...especially when all he did was say hello and hand me a gown!!!

Spoiler

[Kachina624]

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@millieshops wrote:

30 minutes is a long wait - seems as if only an emergency should be the reason for that to happen most of the time.

I can see why they take someone in for treatment if they walk in and there's an empty treatment bed. That's highly unlikely to cause a 30 minute wait  - at least not the way my doctor works.  No explanation for their taking evey walk-in ahead of their appointments would please me.  I'd be checking other offices.  Not threatening, not running elsewhere, but looking!

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A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush philosophy?

[Moonchilde]

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@Mom2Dogs wrote:

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@millieshops wrote:

30 minutes is a long wait - seems as if only an emergency should be the reason for that to happen most of the time.

I can see why they take someone in for treatment if they walk in and there's an empty treatment bed. That's highly unlikely to cause a 30 minute wait  - at least not the way my doctor works.  No explanation for their taking evey walk-in ahead of their appointments would please me.  I'd be checking other offices.  Not threatening, not running elsewhere, but looking!

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@millieshops...the funny thing is  there is one doctor...he uses the same room over and over....it's a revolving door...what irked me the most is the assistant could have taken me in as soon as I arrived but no...they let me sit for a full 30 minutes....why a patient must wait for the doctor before getting an x ray I don't understand...especially when all he did was say hello and hand me a gown!!!

Spoiler

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Because the assistant can't just do it without the doctor's say-so. He must have felt it was necessary to see you in person/answer a question or two before he ordered the x-ray. Or was an X-ray agreed upon between you and the doctor before you ever arrived?

The latter would be UNusual, the former would be the usual procedure.

[Jasmine19]

One thing I've learned after many years in health care.......never make an appointment for Monday morning. Most doctor's are inundated with patients who became sick or injured over the weekend. I don't even try to call for an appointment or results or anything else on Monday.

[Mom2Dogs]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

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@Mom2Dogs wrote:

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@millieshops wrote:

30 minutes is a long wait - seems as if only an emergency should be the reason for that to happen most of the time.

I can see why they take someone in for treatment if they walk in and there's an empty treatment bed. That's highly unlikely to cause a 30 minute wait  - at least not the way my doctor works.  No explanation for their taking evey walk-in ahead of their appointments would please me.  I'd be checking other offices.  Not threatening, not running elsewhere, but looking!

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@millieshops...the funny thing is  there is one doctor...he uses the same room over and over....it's a revolving door...what irked me the most is the assistant could have taken me in as soon as I arrived but no...they let me sit for a full 30 minutes....why a patient must wait for the doctor before getting an x ray I don't understand...especially when all he did was say hello and hand me a gown!!!

Spoiler

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Because the assistant can't just do it without the doctor's say-so. He must have felt it was necessary to see you in person/answer a question or two before he ordered the x-ray. Or was an X-ray agreed upon between you and the doctor before you ever arrived?

The latter would be UNusual, the former would be the usual procedure.

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The x-ray was agreed upon last week.  I called this morning for the appointment and I stated that again when I made the appointment.

The doctor did not even need to see me today......I will see him for the results end of this week.