Report: Optometrists Have Shortest Waiting Times.

Report: Optometrists Have Shortest Waiting Times.
The New York Times (8/2, D6, Alderman, Subscription Publication) reports in "The Consumer" that "no one likes to be kept waiting" to see their healthcare professional. Across the US, "the average wait time to see a doctor last year was 23 minutes, according to the health care consultants Press Ganey. Neurosurgeons have the longest wait times (30 minutes) and optometrists the shortest (17 minutes), according to the report." The article suggests strategies people can use to avoid waiting, such as getting the first appointment of the day, checking before leaving home to make sure the doctor is running on time, finding a new healthcare provider, or signing up with a concierge practice. The disadvantage of the latter, however, is that a concierge practice does not take insurance.