The Busy Waiting Room Extravaganza
Do you know that many doctors intentionally schedule more than one patient for each time slot? There are numerous practice management groups out there that educate doctors on the importance of using "cluster booking" to create a busy waiting room. The main objective of cluster booking is to have patients believe that they are in reputable hands. Practice management groups and doctors know what all restaurants know: patrons are likely to have confidence in your service if things look busy.
Why is this information relevant to your health? One of the basic problems that I see with visiting a health care provider is the amount of energy that most people have to spend waiting around for their appointments. In many cases, I believe that it is far better for people to stay home and rest in bed than have their energy sapped and immune systems weakened by waiting around for an hour or two in a stuffy
office.
If you must see a health care provider and prefer not to waste your time and energy contributing to the look of a busy office, try booking your appointment for the doctor's earliest appointment. If you arrive five minutes before the office opens, there will be no excuse to have you wait very long for your appointment.