Why my last visit to the doctor surprised me a little

I wait. In a crowded waiting room. Full of coughing and sniffing people. If I wasn’t sick before, I probably will be after that at the latest. I’m just here for a routine check. Naturally, calamities have priority.

Just after 6 p.m., over an hour after my original appointment, I’m alone in the waiting room and it’s finally my turn. The doctor bangs on his computer keyboard, telling me to take this and that off, inhale, exhale, and so on. When we’re done, he hands me a stack of information sheets. In the twenty minutes I was with him, he addressed me in three whole sentences. “I have a question….” I venture cautiously. “It’s all in the documents.” And if I still want to have my blood checked, I have to inform the reception. But costs extra. By the way, as are all the studies that the stack of factsheets recommends for my age.

Yes, I understand the man. Patients in piecework, there are no more conversations in it. Especially if you’ve actually finished working for a long time. Dozens of ongoing studies and surveys show that healthcare is not only understaffed, but also massively overworked. A survey by the NZZ among general practitioners in training shows that 40 percent of them work more than eleven hours a day. Three-quarters take a break of less than thirty minutes. The Swiss hospital association HPlus says that all labor laws are observed. Despite: Under such circumstances, it is more than understandable that what was once a dream job can eventually turn into a nightmare.

The same is true when it comes to mental health. So submit a survey of various psychological professional associations Two-thirds of the psychotherapists surveyed indicate that they regularly have to refuse people, due to lack of capacity. The clinics are full, the waiting lists are endless.

The problem is probably not only a lack of staff and the aftermath of Corona (higher susceptibility due to the “sterile” lifestyle during the pandemic), but also complicated structures (keyword cantonal spirit) and little sense of innovation. A doctor friend told me that she often spent hours on the phone discussing medical records – and that in 2023! Another friend who works as a doctor in Sweden can only shake her head at something like this. Electronic medical records, video consultations and “virtual care rooms” in which patients can measure their own values ​​under digital medical supervision, for example, are the order of the day there – and enormously relieve the burden on healthcare staff.

There is probably no quick fix for this problem. But a little goodwill on both sides would be a start. Healthcare workers repeatedly report everything from insults to physical attacks. For example, according to an SDA report, the emergency team at Inselspital Bern has to call the security service an average of four times a day for support in dealing with aggressive patients. Doesn’t have to be synonymous. And as a patient, I would appreciate at least a “hello” from the doctor. It doesn’t take much more than a nod of the head.

I am interested in your experiences. How do you experience doctor or hospital visits these days? Or do you work in healthcare? What do you have to say? What would you wish? I look forward to your comments.