Do you think that your trip to the doctor went by way too quickly? Did you feel like your doctor rushed in and out of the room without taking much time to talk to you?

Your doctor likely agrees. The reason for the rush is that costs are so high.

For example, one doctor said that processing the forms for the insurance company alone costs $58. That’s true for every patient who walks in through the front door. If a doctor sees 10 patients in the morning, that’s $580 just for document processing.

Some doctors have decided that the only way to get around the high costs is to see more patients every day. They try to cram in as many as possible. Studies have now shown that the average amount of time that patients spend with their doctor, talking face-to-face, is all of 12 minutes.

Is that really enough time for the doctor to understand your situation? If not, are you worried that the doctor is going to make mistakes as a result? For instance, your doctor could forget to ask about a crucial symptom while rushing through the appointment, make the wrong diagnosis, and then prescribe you the wrong medication. Now you’re taking something you don’t need, and dealing with those side effects, and you’re also watching your own condition get worse because you’re not taking the medicine you do need.

Doctors may feel like they need to rush to make ends meet, but it can put patients in danger. Those who are harmed need to know exactly what legal options they have.

Source: WeeksMD, “Medical doctors distracted and dis-spirited," Bradford S. Weeks, accessed Nov. 23, 2017