We tend to take a lot for granted in our lives, and only after going through an experience personally, do we realize the value of things around us. Doctors in particular dedicate the majority of their lives risking their health in order to take care of ours. We can all take a moment to thank doctors and health practitioners for their expertise, professionalism, and dedication. They play a vital role in keeping people healthy and saving the lives of patients who suffer from chronic conditions and serious, life-altering diseases. Now, regardless of their specialization, whether they work in hospitals or independent practices, doctors don’t have it easy at all. We also tend to take them for granted.
Between work pressure, constant stress, irritating patients, time-consuming administrative tasks, and more, there are a thousand things that annoy doctors on a daily basis. In the following guide, we’re taking a closer look at 4 of these common annoyances that doctors can certainly do without, and perhaps this will help us to understand them as people in a deeper way.
1. Excessive Paperwork
There is hardly any profession out there that isn’t knee-deep in paperwork, and the field of medicine is no exception. Between individual patient forms, prescriptions, insurance papers, and medical billing, doctors have more than the health of their patients to take care of. In fact, a health professional must be able to navigate all the aspects that revolve around completing paperwork. This can be extremely demanding and time-consuming in a lot of cases. Administrative work for a doctor is very time consuming, and generally, time is something they don’t have a lot of, and this can get extremely stressful and certainly annoying.
As such, it’s essential to set up a routine to attend to administrative and billing matters efficiently. You could, for instance, look into outsourcing. In that regard, the experts at First Medical Billing Services recommend choosing a provider that will enable you to streamline your billing and payment operations. With some research, you’re bound to find an online service that takes care of all this and frees up some of your valuable time to focus on patient care.
2. Inadequate Medical Staff and Suppliers
Doctors tend to be particularly annoyed by incompetent staff members and unreliable medical product suppliers. While they don’t have an easy job to begin with, a number of nurses and medical assistants often lack the experience to fully attend to a patient’s needs. This can be aggravated when your hospital or office runs out of essential supplies because of the supplier’s negligence that can cause late deliveries or inaccurate supply amounts. Thus, delaying a medical process that a doctor needed at the moment and may result in an unfavorable outcome.
There are ways to get around this, but it requires time and money, of course. To prevent these common frustrations, doctors should make a point of hiring qualified staff or promising nurses who have the ability to learn well and fast. They should facilitate the doctor’s job and not be a burden. Likewise, in case you’re dealing with a sloppy supplier, conduct some research or ask around for the most reliable ones out there. The key to managing this is to be able to have a system that filters out the bad from the good, so that this doesn’ have to come up at all, if possible. Otherwise, it’s important to have training programs and encourage those who are not as good to take courses and diplomas to better themselves. 
3. Lack of Patients
Naturally, not having enough patients is one of those things that drive doctors crazy. Having completed 12 years of postgraduate studies on average only to treat a handful of patients can be severely frustrating. That said, health professionals who choose to move to less populated areas do society a great favor; with fewer doctors practicing there, they effectively fill a gap and prevent certain locations from becoming “medical deserts”.
If you’ve been struggling with having a few patients, it might be that your practice lacks visibility. Most people nowadays turn to web search engines to find GPs, dentists, dermatologists, and other specialists in their area. As such, it stands to reason that you should work on your online visibility if you wish to attract new patients. Creating a full-rounded website, listing your business, and acquiring and HIPAA compliance can help you achieve your objectives.
4. Overbearing Patients
In contrast, doctors who deal with many patients at a time may encounter people who are anything but the ideal patient. While this can certainly make for some funny anecdotes, dealing with rude, ill-mannered, and stubborn patients can also be very unnerving and test the doctor’s patience. For instance, people who consistently show up late for appointments, exaggerate their symptoms, arguing about their self-diagnosed sickness, ask too many questions, or fail to demonstrate proper hygiene are particularly difficult to deal with.
To avoid having to treat unpleasant patients, it’s important that you set some guidelines and enforce rules of good conduct. Whenever you’re receiving a new patient, make sure they read and approve your code of conduct prior to their first appointment. In case a person turns out to be disrespectful, threatening, or even violent, warn them politely, and don’t hesitate to get the police involved. You’re here to cure people, not put your physical and emotional safety at risk.
Now that you’re well aware of some of the things that can get under any doctor’s skin, it’s easy to understand that they are always under a lot of pressure. All things considered, the job of a healthcare professional is complicated enough without having to put up with unnecessary daily annoyances. It’s a very demanding and lucrative field for many, but as with any occupation, it comes with its fair share of headaches and complications. Whether it’s a loud and obnoxious patient, too much paperwork, or an inexperienced team of assistants, each problem has its solutions. Ultimately, doctors should do everything they can to ensure they’re well-surrounded and work in a conducive and productive environment.