By: Jennifer Beach, LSW, MA, C-SWCM
Mrs. Jones had a follow-up doctor’s appointment with her PCP (Primary Care Physician) scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday morning. She typically gets up around 8am, but on the Thursday of the appointment she got up an hour early. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to get ready, find a parking space, and arrived 15 minutes early, as she was informed to do. She was pleased with herself as she arrived by 9:40am. She checked in, filled out the necessary paperwork and was told to have a seat. The wait began.
Many of us have been in this position. We rush to get to our doctor’s appointment on time and we end up waiting and waiting! I have attended hundreds of medical appointments, tests, and procedures with clients over the past decade and the one thing we can count on is waiting. It does seem the “wait” is becoming consistently, routinely longer.
Initially, it made sense the wait times had increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but almost three years later, this does not add up. What is really contributing to the increased wait times?
- Physician Shortages: America is experiencing a physician shortage, and it’s only expected to get worse, a concerning situation that could lead to poorer health outcomes for many patients and longer waits a part of the process. Data published in 2020 by the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. could see a shortage of 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by 2033. That shortfall is expected to span both primary- and specialty-care fields.
- Becoming a Physician: “Training new physicians is a time-consuming and expensive process, and there are only so many medical schools in the U.S., with so many seats, and which have not kept up with the demand for physicians,” states Dr. Stephen Frankel, a pulmonologist and the executive vice president of clinical affairs at National Jewish Health in Denver.
- Boomers: America’s population is shifting. By 2035, there will be more seniors aged 65 or older than children aged 17 or younger. This is the first time this demographic imbalance has occurred in the nation’s history,” says James Taylor, group president of the leadership solutions division at AMN Healthcare, the largest health care staffing agency in the U.S. This is significant because “older people see a physician at three or four times the rate of younger people and account for a highly disproportionate number of surgeries, diagnostic tests, and other medical procedures.”
- Complex Patients. This surge in older, sicker patients who are demanding more complex medical care is occurring simultaneously with the aging of the health care population itself. “We’re facing a physician retirement cliff,” Taylor says—with many actively licensed physicians in the U.S. aged 60 or older.
- Health of the Nation: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 in 10 adults have one or more chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, or Alzheimer’s, “all of which must be treated and managed by physicians.” Poverty, unemployment, lack of proper nutrition, poor housing, and other social factors also contribute to the demand for care.
The problem involves many factors and there’s no simple answer to fixing the various challenges. Instead, a large and innovative, multi-pronged approach will be required, including technology, expanding care teams, reducing waste, increasing opportunities for physician training and more.
What Mrs. Jones, you and I can do:
- Understand this is a complex problem and everyone is experiencing the challenges, including the medical providers
- Accept and allow extra time for medical appointments
- Bring a list with your concerns and specific questions to help be efficient with the time you do have with the doctor
- Come prepared with water, a snack, medications (if needed at a certain time), and something to read or do while you wait
- Smile and be courteous to those working; they are experiencing all these concerns and are often dealing with frustrated people daily
Original Article: https://www.northeastohioboomer.com/blogs/caregiver-corner/dealing-with-the-longer-than-ever-waiting-room/