Since this blog started almost a year ago, I have posted my opinion, rants, and epithets on issues mostly political. But, hey – it’s my blog – I can talk about anything I want to.
Today, I had two separate medical appointments – one at a lab and the other at a doctor’s office. Nothing serious – just routine stuff for an old curmudgeon. And this blog posting is not about our health care system.
Both waiting rooms today had a common feature, blaring televisions that no one was paying any attention to. I guess these televisions are there to supplement the 8-month old dog-eared issues of Golf Digest which seem to spawn in this environment.
Even for routine, benign treatment, no one likes to visit the doctor. And this unpleasantness is exacerbated by being forced to hear Regis Philbin and watching laxative commercials. Ironically, there are big signs on the TV sets reading “for the patient’s convenience, please do not adjust the set.”
How about making doctors’ waiting rooms a “No TV Zone”? It would do wonders in reducing patient’s blood pressure. Take out all of those expensive flat screen TVs and donate them to schools that could put them to better use.
Of course, it could be worse than Regis blaring in your ear. Imagine the torture of being stuck in a doctor’s office with a television permanently set to Fox “News”.
Steve...we couldn't agree with you more. That's why our office has soft classical music playing and a SILENT patient education video going. The ultimate reason for the music is to block out the sound of the dental drills. The only times we turn the TV on to networks is during the play-offs or the World Series.
ReplyDeleteYour waiting room is the exception that proves the rule. But since your practice excels at taking patients at the time of the appointment, I rarely spend any time waiting. IMHO, turning the TV to the World Series is the right thing to do, as long as the Phillies are playing :)
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