You have plans to meet your friend for dinner at 6pm. She shows up at 6:31pm. You’re annoyed.
School ends at 3pm and you pick up your child at 4:15pm. You’re in trouble.
You abandon websites that take more than 3 seconds to load. You don’t have time.
You show up for your doctor’s appointment on time, but you wait 49 minutes. You….accept it! There’s nothing you can do about it… You silently let your frustration grow and condition worsen while feverishly jumping from app to app on your phone….
The experience getting medical care has gone largely unchallenged and unchecked.
Somewhere down the line, patients (noun) were expected to be extremely patient (adjective). You were expected to forego your expectations and accept delays far beyond what you would tolerate among friends or family.
Between 2014 and 2017, the mindfulness and intentional living trends have been on the rise. We are learning how to optimize our time, say “no” more, and protect ourselves from the external forces that detract from our overall happiness and quality of life. However, there is one trend that is moving in the opposite direction. In 2014, patients had to wait an average of 18.5 days to schedule a doctor’s appointment. Three years later, there has been a 30% increase in that number and patients are being forced to wait an average of 24 days to schedule an appointment.
We understand that emergencies happen. We too want doctors that give us the time and energy we deserve. But we also believe it is time to prioritize you as a patient and stop accepting that sacrificing large amounts of your time is just how it is. When you book with Solv, you can make a same-day appointment and skip the wait.
There are enough adjectives required when you are the patient, being patient is not one of them. Save your energy to be compassionate, strong, efficient, prepared, calm, empathetic, brave, or whatever you feel like being.
We want to hear from you. Tell us about your waiting-room experiences (the good and the bad) and how you have begun to make healthcare work for you.
Originally published at info.solvhealth.com on June 24, 2017.
