Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Why is it so difficult for doctors to stay on time?

Jennifer Middleton, MD
Physician
August 16, 2011
Share
Tweet
Share

“I’m sorry.”

I said that phrase a lot last night during evening patient hours.

With an overfilled schedule, I mostly said it to patients who waited twenty, thirty, even forty-five minutes for me to see them.  “I’m sorry for your wait.  I appreciate your patience.”  I say these sentences far more often than I should. Why is it so difficult to stay on time?

I could blame my inadequate supply of nursing staff; our health system thinks that I only need one nurse to room, vaccinate, and phlebotomize my patients.  I could blame a convoluted rooming process and the occasional lack of available rooms.  I could even blame my patients, who somehow seem to show up early or late but rarely within their allotted appointment time.

But, mostly, I have to blame myself.  “Yes, I’ll freeze your warts” even though there wasn’t enough time for that when we also dealt with this patient’s recent emergency room visit.  But I know that she can barely afford her co-pay and hated to ask her to return.

And I just couldn’t seem to rush telling another patient that his nagging cough and recent “bronchitis” was probably a new asthma diagnosis.  Or telling the patient after him that her wet mount didn’t show yeast, as she predicted, but sheets of white blood cells – which, along with the frank cervical discharge on exam, indicated a likely STD from her new partner.

I believe that these issues deserve time, but I still don’t like inconveniencing the patients who come after.  “Can I put off that bloodwork until the next visit, doc?  I can’t keep the babysitter waiting much longer.”  What else could I say but “of course”?

The worst “I’m sorry,” though, came with the last visit of the night.  Follow-up high blood pressure with an overweight teen.  While reviewing the labs from our first visit with her and her mother, I realized that the A1C I had ordered (given her weight, family history, and the acanthosis nigricans on her neck) was not there.

Correction: the A1C I thought I had ordered.  The order was not there.  And I would have to stick her again to get it.

“I’m sorry,” I said yet again.  “Remember the test I ordered to check for diabetes?  Well, it looks like I forgot to enter it into the computer.  I’m very sorry that I made that mistake.  To get that test, we’ll have to draw more blood from you.”

“You mean from the elbow, like before?” she asked calmly.  When I nodded “yes,” she said nonchalantly, “okay.”

I was so grateful for her undeserved graciousness, as I was for my earlier patients who had shrugged off my apologies for my tardiness.

Thank you, my patients.  Thanks for accepting me, mistakes and lateness and all.

Jennifer Middleton is a family physician who blogs at The Singing Pen of Doctor Jen.

ADVERTISEMENT

Submit a guest post and be heard on social media’s leading physician voice.

Prev

The physical and emotional costs of non-compliance

August 16, 2011 Kevin 3
…
Next

Accommodate people with hearing loss in the hospital

August 17, 2011 Kevin 4
…

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The physical and emotional costs of non-compliance
Next Post >
Accommodate people with hearing loss in the hospital

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Jennifer Middleton, MD

  • Should the SOAP note be changed?

    Jennifer Middleton, MD
  • Medical Jeopardy is a terrible way to learn. Here’s why.

    Jennifer Middleton, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    3 questions to ask prospective family medicine residencies

    Jennifer Middleton, MD

More in Physician

  • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • The gift we keep giving: How medicine demands everything—even our holidays

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • From burnout to balance: a neurosurgeon’s bold career redesign

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Why working in Hawai’i health care isn’t all paradise

    Clayton Foster, MD
  • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • Why compassion—not credentials—defines great doctors

    Dr. Saad S. Alshohaib
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why public health must be included in AI development

      Laura E. Scudiere, RN, MPH | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

      Vaishali Jha | Education
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • Residency match tips: Building mentorship, research, and community

      Simran Kaur, MD and Eva Shelton, MD | Education

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 6 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why public health must be included in AI development

      Laura E. Scudiere, RN, MPH | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

      Vaishali Jha | Education
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • Residency match tips: Building mentorship, research, and community

      Simran Kaur, MD and Eva Shelton, MD | Education

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Why is it so difficult for doctors to stay on time?
6 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...