What is the patients role in a doctors office? Did you ever schedule your appointment and wonder why the doctor is running behind schedule?

There are many reasons why the doctor is running behind schedule see them listed below:

(1) The receptionist over scheduled appointments.

(2) The doctor became involved in a long telephone call with an other doctor or patient.

(3) The patient the doctor was seeing had a more complex issue and required more time.

(4) The doctor had an emergency case that needed to be squeezed in before the scheduled patient.

(5) The doctor got held up at the hospital for various reasons.

This is just a short list there are many more.

The patients role in keeping the office running on schedule is very important.

See The Reasons Listed Below:

(1) Always have your medical insurance card ready to be copied when arriving at the front desk to check in.

(2) Always bring your medical records with you, if required.

(3) Always bring your x-ray films with you, if required.

(4) Always tell the receptionist if your medical insurance has changed or if you have moved.

(5) Give the receptionist a copy of your referral or authorization paper. Without the paper or oral authorization numbers you might not be seen.

(6) Write down your questions you want to discuss with the doctor. Your time with the doctor is short and you might not think of everything.

(7) If you are a new patient always arrive about twenty minutes early to fill out the paperwork.

Do not be afraid to make a suggestion about the treatment of your problem. All the doctor can say is no, "I want to try something different."

Many people are afraid to make suggestions to the doctor about their own care. But who better to make the suggestion, you are the patient and nobody knows their problems better than you.

If you talk to the doctor about your suggestion at the time of the visit, it will relieve your mind. If you are not satisfied with the doctors opinion about your care, you can always get another opinion providing your medical insurance will allow it.

There are people who are to timid to make a suggestion to the doctor about their care when they have the doctors attention. This causes unnecessary telephone calls back to the doctors office when the patient arrives home.

This is why writing down your questions, including your suggestion on your medical care and handing it to the doctor to read might help eliminate the situation.

You can also fax a letter to the doctor with your concerns about your medical care. This letter will be paper clipped to your chart for the doctor to read. This is a great way for the patients children or care giver to keep your doctor aware of your condition.

All the ideas discussed in this article is a reason why the doctors office does not run on time.

As a patient, the doctors office is not allowed to give out any information to another person except a spouse. This is called patient confidentially. If you need a family member or friend help you with your medical bills or intervene on your medical care, you must have a letter signed by the patient on file in the doctors office.

If you do not have an medical insurance read my article listed below:

When I Don't Have Medical Insurance! What DO I Do?

If you have Medical Insurance and still have bills, read my article listed below:

Horrifying Medical Bills! When You Have Medical Insurance! Fight Back.

If you want to know why medical costs are sky high, read my article listed below:

Get The Money.

Everybody is entitled to have affordable Medical Insurance. If there is a problem with the system. Change it.

Please let me hear from you about this article or any other article I have written. Just post a comment.

Copyright 2006 Linda Meckler

Linda has worked in many doctors office and has seen first hand what holds up the doctors schedule. Now she has published her first book "Ghost Kids Trilogy," a childrens adventure book for ages 8-14 to adult. It is 3 books in 1 book. Love, Family Values, and Charity burst off the pages. (Book 1)Ghost Kids: Two children and two Ghost Kids team up to send the Ghost Kids back to their parents. (Book 2) Blue Vase Mystery: Uncle Charlie the villain of the book lives in a magical blue vase. He wants out of the vase in exchange he will tell the children where Pirates' Treasure is hidden. (Book 3) Pirates' Treasure-the hunt. Go on a treasure hunt with the children. Check out my website http://member.cox.net/ghostkids. My email lmecky@tns.net. Order my book at http://www.amazon.com or http://www.buybooksontheweb.com. With an order of 5 books =40% discount. An order of 20 or more free shipping and handling. ISBN 0-7414-2273-5.