THREAD CREEP AHEAD, but I thought it might be useful.

Don Firth and others,

In our practice, established patients are often seen within 24 hours if they are sick, and the wait is rarely over 72 hours. If they call early in the morning, they are often seen the same day. If the diagnosis is obvious and the risk of complications is low, they do not even need to be seen; we handle everything over the phone (at no charge) including calling in the prescription, if any. This is not only true at our practice but is common among primary care physicians, at least in our area (West Virginia and Appalachian Ohio).

However, sometimes patients tell me that they've waited for weeks for an appointment. This tends to happen when people call for an appointment without saying WHY they want one. Some things can wait; others can't. Patients who are not sure whether something can wait or not can and should ask. As a rule, they'll get an answer that day. If they think it can't wait that long, they probably ought to go to a quick-care facility or emergency room.

For chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, we set up the NEXT appointment before they leave the office. Try that with your specialist.

Hope this is helpful.

Kent Davis