Why does my family doctor only see one issue per visit?

Question

I've been getting pretty disappointed in the service our family doctor has given my family in recent times. The lack of quality in her service is kind of alarming, she was also running a restaurant in between. I've been having a combination of issues I wanted to see her about, but she restricts us to just one issue in the 10 minutes we are scheduled with her. Anything more would require a new appointment. What if the issues correlate? Just to get another appointment itself is about a few weeks wait time. I recall when I was younger the visits were longer and tended with more care, nowadays, it seems very passive and quick.

Gijs B · Answer

Family doctors often have to manage a large patient roster, so they keep appointments brief to fit everyone into their schedule. This means they typically address only one issue per visit, which helps them stay on track and see as many patients as possible.

Camille · Answer

In the typical family doctor's practice, they receive a base payment of $150-$200 per year to care for a patient, plus $13 for each visit. This fee is based on the amount a walk-in doctor can charge for a service, which is currently $44. The doctor is paid the same $13 regardless of the complexity of the visit, whether it's just a prescription refill or a diagnosis of pneumonia. As a result, there's little incentive to tackle multiple issues per visit, as it would mean doing extra work for free and limiting the number of other patients they can see and bill for.

Why does my family doctor only see one issue per visit?

2 Answers · 1 reply

Explore More

Related Questions