[cavalier65]

Both of my appointments at Advanced/Dr. Karavadia required 2hr. wait times. The office apparently disrespects patients by overscheduling and making them wait for excessive periods to see a doctor. Fortunately, my "meet and greet" appt. and followup were nothing serious. But now it is back to the "drawing board" to find a urologist practice that offers good customer service.

[borjo]

When seeing a doctor, I prefer to place the doctor's competence above customer service. Dr. Karavadia is worth the wait.

[dillywho]

I'm sorry, but medicine is not like fast food. Each doctor should (and the good ones do) spend as much time with each patient as is necessary. Maybe one patient takes 15 minutes and another takes 45 to an hour or more. That does not mean that the doctors "overbook". Each and every doctor here has tremendous patient loads and any doctor worth his salt will take his time and be VERY thorough.

I had one doctor tell me that he didn't "have time" when I told him that I had another question for him concerning medication during the follow up visit after my husband's heart attack and left the room. Needless to say, that was the very last visit to that one!! When we changed, the first thing I told the new one was about the other one and that if HE was not going to have time, let us know now. He assured us that he would take all the time needed and that yes, my husband needed to continue the med in question after his heart attack and wrote the new script we needed since the one from the hospital was only for 30 days.

This is one of my pet peeves....either there are complaints about being treated "assembly line" fashion or it takes waaaay too long. I will take competence any day over "fast service".

[cavalier65]

Who can disagree with your point about competence? That still does not change the poor management skills of most doctor's offices. The staff is in charge not the doctor. Any wait over 30 min. is unacceptable. The reason for most appts. is given at the time of booking and the appropriate time should be allocated for the malady. For example, a digital rectal exam and PSA test can be done within minutes not hours.

[jnieman]

Originally Posted by cavalier65

Both of my appointments at Advanced/Dr. Karavadia required 2hr. wait times. The office apparently disrespects patients by overscheduling and making them wait for excessive periods to see a doctor. Fortunately, my "meet and greet" appt. and followup were nothing serious. But now it is back to the "drawing board" to find a urologist practice that offers good customer service.

I do agree that sometimes you have to wait longer to see a popular doctor but 2 hours seems excessive especially if this is a doctor you will see regularly. A meet and greet and a surgery consultation, yes I would wait the 2 hours, but to have to regularly wait 2 hours for just a normal appointment, I wouldn't.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by cavalier65

Both of my appointments at Advanced/Dr. Karavadia required 2hr. wait times. The office apparently disrespects patients by overscheduling and making them wait for excessive periods to see a doctor. Fortunately, my "meet and greet" appt. and followup were nothing serious. But now it is back to the "drawing board" to find a urologist practice that offers good customer service.

What was the doctor's response when you shared your concern's with him?

[blueash]

Every doctor will run behind some of the time. But if a doctor is always 2 hours behind then there is a problem. The problem may be patients not coming on time, staff not getting patients in the room and ready to be seen on time, the doctor being too long winded and chatty to the point of ignoring patient flow, and a more basic issue of how the patients are scheduled. Knew an ortho office where all after lunch appointments were for 2 PM, everyone. Then they took them first come first served. Once patients figured this out they were camping in the hallway waiting for the door to open and rush the sign in sheet. And some doctors seem biologically unable to get to the office on time. First patient scheduled at 8 AM, don't come in at 8:30 or 9. If your first patient no shows, you certainly have paper work or management issues or journal reading you can do.

[cavalier65]

Originally Posted by jnieman

I do agree that sometimes you have to wait longer to see a popular doctor but 2 hours seems excessive especially if this is a doctor you will see regularly. A meet and greet and a surgery consultation, yes I would wait the 2 hours, but to have to regularly wait 2 hours for just a normal appointment, I wouldn't.

Agreed. Most people seem to confuse getting quality treatment from a doctor with good customer service. A doctor's office is a business. Advanced Urology is a three office chain that operates on the profit-motive--nothing wrong with that. However they, like most other doctor's offices, know that patients are rarely going to question them about customer service. We accept the attitude because we may be vulnerable with our health.

[biker1]

I would never wait 2 hours for a regular appointment, let alone do it twice. If they squeeze me in that day I will gladly wait any amount of time. A regular appointment, no way. Anyone who waits that amount of time is just reinforcing that practice's bad behavior. I have had a dozen appointments at the Mayo Clinic and they don't pull that nonsense there.

Originally Posted by borjo

When seeing a doctor, I prefer to place the doctor's competence above customer service. Dr. Karavadia is worth the wait.