Keeping Appointments Essay

Doctor’s appointments are missed each and every day by people who either forget to show up or choose not to call and cancel their appointment. This article will look at some of the reasons why it is important to try to and keep doctor’s appointment and what to do if you must cancel. At my previous doctor’s surgery (office) in the UK, the surgery would regularly post the latest numbers of people who had not shown up for their doctor’s appointments. I was amazed at the staggering amount of people who failed to show up for their appointments. It was not just a few individuals who did not show up. A large number of people regularly missed their scheduled doctor’s appointments. If you are a receptionist it can be very frustrating to work under these conditions. You will have to call patients when it is their turn to see the doctor and be left standing when no one appears. Then you must inform the doctor that the patient did not show up. One of the reasons why it is best to try and keep your doctor’s appointment is because it is the polite thing to do. Would you arrange a job interview with a company you were serious about working for but then fail to show up? It is highly unlikely. Yet, members of the medical profession routinely have to deal with patients who do not show up for their appointments. It is also important to keep your appointment if you will be receiving the results of blood tests, and other test results that will determine your medical condition. This in turn will help doctors see what the next step should be in your courseof treatment. If you miss the appointment, you are not only wasting your doctor’s time. You could also place your health at risk if you do not start your treatment as quickly as possible. Sometimes, it is just not possible to keep a doctor’s appointment. It may clash with a business meeting at work or your child’s emergency visit to the dentist’s. If you can, try to inform your doctor’s surgery of the cancellation 24 hours in advance. But if that is not possible, let them know as soon as you can. That way, your appointment slot can be given to someone else who may be in need of a last minute appointment. Keep in mind that breaking an appointment without first calling to cancel can prevent someone else from being seen and it wastes the time of doctors and the rest of the team.