We’ve all come to expect our doctors to run late for appointments. I’m a doctor, and when I go to see my doctor, I expect the same. I bring my laptop or something to read to bide the time. Waiting makes us feel like we or our time isn’t valued, and doctors know this. So why is it so hard for doctors, including myself, to stay on time?
Most doctors have …
Achieving the holy grail of wait-free medical care
The VA scandal over excessive waits for doctors’ appointments is an early warning of things to come. Over the last three years, the demand for primary care appointments at the VA increased by 50% while the number of providers rose by only 9%. With four hundred vacancies for primary care providers, the VA is facing a severe gap in its ability to care for its patients.
It isn’t surprising that the …
How doctors can change the way they work and care for patients
Over the years, my husband’s parents, Helen and Dave, have both suffered unnecessarily from bad medical care. They are not alone.
A botched cataract surgery left Helen with a torn iris. One of her eyes can’t adjust to light, and for the last several years she’s worn sunglasses indoors. Her urologist kept treating her with the same antibiotic for urinary tract infections without testing to see what bacteria she had. When …
We should value quality when we shop for health care
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