Because they deal with all kinds of people and it takes a of patience to deal with people.

You left out "because they have to deal with you"

When you deal with people from all walks of life, you are having to deal with people that bring all kinds of baggage along. It's not that the office staff is purposely being rude or maybe it's your own perception of the way you think things should be.
Otherwise, I know that people can be very demanding; not taking into consideration that doctors are only doctors. People will call and expect to be seen the same day or people will call expecting to "speak" with the doctor or nurse. Well, it should be recognized by the public that doctors offices' are a business just as the grocery store, the telephone company, the utility company, etc. When the doctor is working, he/she is working and cannot take the time out to attend to your immediate need. Most people think that is rude of the office staff.

Its because the patients are so rude and do not know who to follow the drs instructions.

Michelle wrote:

When you deal with people from all walks of life, you are having to deal with people that bring all kinds of baggage along. It's not that the office staff is purposely being rude or maybe it's your own perception of the way you think things should be.
Otherwise, I know that people can be very demanding; not taking into consideration that doctors are only doctors. People will call and expect to be seen the same day or people will call expecting to "speak" with the doctor or nurse. Well, it should be recognized by the public that doctors offices' are a business just as the grocery store, the telephone company, the utility company, etc. When the doctor is working, he/she is working and cannot take the time out to attend to your immediate need. Most people think that is rude of the office staff.

Trust me the one thing I totally know is that medicine is a business. There are no illusions it is about anything other than money. Try going to a doctor for 26 years and they show a $5.00 balance on my bill and you would think that I killed someone but the $$$$ is what is important, not how long I wait, no how long I have been a loyal patient, just $$$$. Deny that!

Jane Doe wrote:

Its because the patients are so rude and do not know who to follow the drs instructions.

In some cases. Try being a healthcare giver for two parents who cannot take care of themselves and see how they and I am treated. I am not saying all people in the medical profession are bad but they need to understand sometimes it is not easy for their patients to even get there much less keep up with the red tape, the instructions etc. Sometimes it takes hours just to get them in the door and then to encounter an attitude right off the top. I DON'T THINK SO. You would not tolerate it and neither am I. P.S. I have worked with the public for over 35 years and I know how awful they can be and STUPID but you still have to treat them with respect and patience.

Just Me wrote:

You left out "because they have to deal with you"

Really? You know nothing about me and you say that. That is exactly my point. You perceive that I am a bad person and hard to deal with. I have numerous examples of how I was treated. Medicine is not easy but being sick or having a long dehabilitated illness is not either. IT is not easy for the patient or the caregiver so until you have walked in my shoes, DON'T JUDGE ME. You have no right!

My former ophthalmologist keeps all patients waiting a minimum of 2 hours OR MORE. The 1st waiting rm (30+ chairs) is for the purpose of signing in. The 2nd waiting rm (30+ chairs) is a transition waiting room. The third waiting area (3+ chairs) is in front of the examination room. Finally, patients are put in the examination room. After waiting in the examination rm (now 3 hrs later), I (a new patient) looked out the back door of the examination room to ask for help and saw my ophthalmologist and 3 well-dressed sales representatives leaving the conference room next to me. The doctor apologized when I told him I was now late for another appointment. The 2nd appointment was another three-hour wait; I asked the other patients (6-7) "How long have you waited?" All answered, "3 hours!" I asked, "Is this long wait usual or typical?" The patients shrugged and all said "yes." After stopping by the patient check in area to tell them that I had waited 3 hours and I could not wait any longer and to reschedule, I left. At the 3rd appointment, they told me I was no-show at the 2nd appointment! Imagine! I waited 20 minutes; then I left forever.

bailey8 wrote:

My former ophthalmologist keeps all patients waiting a minimum of 2 hours OR MORE. The 1st waiting rm (30+ chairs) is for the purpose of signing in. The 2nd waiting rm (30+ chairs) is a transition waiting room. The third waiting area (3+ chairs) is in front of the examination room. Finally, patients are put in the examination room. After waiting in the examination rm (now 3 hrs later), I (a new patient) looked out the back door of the examination room to ask for help and saw my ophthalmologist and 3 well-dressed sales representatives leaving the conference room next to me. The doctor apologized when I told him I was now late for another appointment. The 2nd appointment was another three-hour wait; I asked the other patients (6-7) "How long have you waited?" All answered, "3 hours!" I asked, "Is this long wait usual or typical?" The patients shrugged and all said "yes." After stopping by the patient check in area to tell them that I had waited 3 hours and I could not wait any longer and to reschedule, I left. At the 3rd appointment, they told me I was no-show at the 2nd appointment! Imagine! I waited 20 minutes; then I left forever.

Preach it! Our time is worth nothing to them. And on top of that you get the receptionist who treats you so bad. As a rule the nurses are nice but that attitude at the front desk is what kills you. WHO THE HECK DO THEY THINK THEY ARE? If this is a business, we are their customers and I have heard in all my years of retail, THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. Should that be amended except for the medical profession and bureaucratic government workers who act like they are God's gift to us all. Go to City Hall or a County Courthouse and look at all the pathetic excuses for workers with their attitudes looking down on you like you are a bother or an interuption. One day the government will be so broke it will lay people off and then we shall see how big and smart they are then.

I understand why people say some health care workers are rude, there are a lot of them that I have encountered. But, I am a health care worker and I deal with many many patients every day that ask me to do things that I have no control over, or I can't do fast enough for them, and then they are the rude ones. I think everyone needs to realize that they do not know what the other person is going through. I've had many patients who I think are rude start crying on the phone because they are just so emotionally exhausted with their situation. I am a very compassionate person and would never be rude no matter how rude the patient is being to me. And, working at the front desk of a dr.'s office is very very hard. You have patients who show up half hour late and demand to be seen. Well, the dr. has other patients who were there on time, it's not fair to make everyone else late because you can't get there on time. And when the dr. says they can't see you, who does the patient take it out on? The person at the front desk, I absolutely love getting yelled at over something I have absolutely no control over. Every body thinks they are right all the time, instead of stopping and listening they just complain and yell at everyone else. Sometimes, the staff is to blame, some people are just mean and don't like their jobs and that shows in how they care for the patients. But don't think that just because you have encountered one of those people we are all like that. One person can't solve the problems of all the patients who walk through their door.

Becky wrote:

<quoted text>Really? You know nothing about me and you say that. That is exactly my point. You perceive that I am a bad person and hard to deal with. I have numerous examples of how I was treated. Medicine is not easy but being sick or having a long dehabilitated illness is not either. IT is not easy for the patient or the caregiver so until you have walked in my shoes, DON'T JUDGE ME. You have no right!

I totally agree with you, but maybe you should take your own advice. You are judging me, I am a health care worker, so walking into the door of my office, you automatically think I am going to be rude to you? I am a very very nice person, but I can't say the customer is always right in this case. If you've never worked in a doctor's office, you'd know that there are some things that the people at the front desk have no control over, and they are the ones who get blamed and yelled at when the patient does not get their way. I just want you to know that not all health care workers are rude and mean.

You are correct on all points. There are always two sides but lately it seems like people in all fields are short with people and rude.

Sarah wrote:

<quoted text>
I totally agree with you, but maybe you should take your own advice. You are judging me, I am a health care worker, so walking into the door of my office, you automatically think I am going to be rude to you? I am a very very nice person, but I can't say the customer is always right in this case. If you've never worked in a doctor's office, you'd know that there are some things that the people at the front desk have no control over, and they are the ones who get blamed and yelled at when the patient does not get their way. I just want you to know that not all health care workers are rude and mean.

I've spent a lot of time in doctors' offices lately and I haven't had anyone treat me rudely. Of course, I try not to treat others that way, either. People are under quite a bit of stress these days due to economic insecurity ....

Becky wrote:

<quoted text>Really? You know nothing about me and you say that. That is exactly my point. You perceive that I am a bad person and hard to deal with. I have numerous examples of how I was treated. Medicine is not easy but being sick or having a long dehabilitated illness is not either. IT is not easy for the patient or the caregiver so until you have walked in my shoes, DON'T JUDGE ME. You have no right!

Hmmm....Yep, see why people are rude to you now....maybe you should go edit your pole options, after all.