• NounsAndWords@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Them making you wait is also often a consequence of earlier patients showing up late or an appointment requiring more time than expected.

    The options to solve it are less patients per day, but that leads to even longer delays before you even get to your appointment date, OR more professional staff in the office…but that would cut into profits of the people in charge so is immediately off the table in this damned money world.

    • mommykink@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      In an ER, that’s understandable, but in a general doctor’s office there’s no reason that Docs should extend one patient’s appointment time just because they ended up late:

      “Oh, you scheduled a 30 minute consultation because of a sore knee but now you’re asking for an ENT referral and blood work? You’ll have to schedule another appointment to go over that, we’re only covering what you told us the other day.”

      • ClockworkOtter@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        You think someone should be penalised by having their diabetes review cut short because the traffic from their minimum wage job was unexpectedly slow?

        • scrion@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Hyperbole indeed.

          What about the 25 other patients who do not have a really, really important diabetes consultation, but a head cold or are just alone and need to talk?*

          What about that one person who had their really, really important diabetes consultation at 6pm but was told to come back another day two hours later at 8pm once the other appointments were all stretched out ad infinitum, but can’t return anytime soon due to their boss not giving them any time off in their minimum wage job, who then DIES of diabetes? Come on, let’s not resort to hyperbole and made up scenarios - improvements are possible, and we should aim for those.

          *Loneliness, in particular in elderly patients, is a real problem which I’m not trying to downplay. This needs to be solved, too.

          • ClockworkOtter@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            It’s a hypothetical scenario. Penalising people for being late or for missing appointments has a higher adverse effect for people in poverty or with disabilities without actually addressing the cause. It’s why doctors in the UK are generally against introducing fines for missed appointments.

            We need more capacity, yes.

        • mommykink@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Hyperbolic, made up scenario, but yeah pretty much. You get the time slot you scheduled and you should be held responsible for using it. Most offices ask you to check in at least a half hour early for a reason.

          I could just as easily switch that around and ask if you believe some poor guy who finally got an extended lunch break from his minimum wage warehouse job should be fired because he had to wait an hour at the doctor’s office because some rich white lady spent 30 minutes past her appointment arguing about essential oils. Painting is pretty easy when it’s all black and white.

      • zalgo@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        If the commenter you’re responding to is from the US then no. We have privately owned for profit hospitals and often they’re the only option in ones area.

      • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        You mean the municipality, which you also are a part of, and pay tax to?

        There aren’t very many hospitals or medical facilities owned by municipalities anymore. Most are either owned and operated by a private hospital network, or operate under a private trust.

        The hospital I work at used to be owned by the state via the university, but our governor literally gave the campus away to a private trust that operates for profit. Super fun times.

          • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Doctors offices are. Hospitals are funded by thr government. Either way paid for by your tax.

            I think we may be talking about two different countries…

            Unless you are American? Things are fucked there

            Ahh, yep. Definitely different countries.

      • EffortlessEffluvium@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Quite a few doctor’s offices are owned or ran by a management group, partly to share or reduce their costs due to bureaucratic insurance companies and HIPAA compliance. Those same management groups use the doctors like a cash cow and attempt to shovel as many patients at them as they can because a venture fund is running the group behind the scenes.