How much time do you spend waiting for health care?
- You call your doctor’s office and get put on hold, waiting to talk to someone.
- You schedule an appointment that you wait days or weeks for.
- You go to the office and wait minutes or hours to be called back to the exam room.
- You may decide to leave rather than wait hours for care in an emergency room.
I have waited for medical care too, from both sides, as a patient and as a doctor. Physicians wait-
- for lab results
- for xray and scan reports
- for consultants to call or send evaluation findings
- for insurance companies to pay claims
- for prior authorizations for surgery and medications to be approved
We all have to wait and it usually isn’t by choice. Or pleasant.
The Bible talks about waiting –
Isaiah 40:31, NKJV
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Other Bible versions translate the word “wait” as
- “trust”- NLT and HCSB
- “hope”-NIV
- “expect, look for, hope” -AMPL
I think it’s easier to wait when you expect, hope for, and trust that waiting will lead to a good outcome, that your problem will be solved, your illness will be successfully treated, your pain eased, and your sorrow resolved.
Sometimes waiting teaches us valuable lessons that we might otherwise not know.
Martin Wiles wrote a poignant piece on how a visit to a hospital emergency room changed his perspective on waiting.
“Waiting rooms have taught me life is unfair.
When I see people who don’t have and can’t afford insurance.
When I see people who’ve been abused by others or who’ve had crimes committed against them.
And when I see people addicted to drugs who are making a visit to get a pain fix.
Or when I see bodies mangled by wrecks.”
Continue reading at this link
Lessons from a Waiting Room by Martin Wiles
I took the photos in this post on medical volunteer trips to several countries. On these trips, people sometimes waited hours to see a healthcare professional, something they often have little or no access to.
No one ever complained about the wait, and they always thanked me. I felt both honored and humble.
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I love your attitude Dr. Alethea! When I have to wait, I try to use that time to say my prayers for myself, my family and friends. I always add a prayer for those waiting with me. You know when in the doctors office, there is a reason to be there, even if you don’t know the exact reason, you can be a blessing to others!
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Olivia, that is a beautiful idea, praying while waiting. Rather than wasted time, it’s valuable if we just use it wisely. Thank you for sharing that nugget with us.
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