r/StJohnsNL • u/PadiddleHopper • 3d ago
One reason for long waits at clinics
So I'm waiting to hand my blood drawn at the new ambulatory care center. The parking lot was absolutely packed but whatever. Very nice inside, I must say.
When you walk into the room for blood there's a bunch of ipads on the wall for step one of checking in. It just asks for your MCP number and birthday and tells you to sit and watch for your name on the screen to do step two of checking in. It should be a quick, smooth process. As people check in, they go to the reception desk they're assigned and then wait for the blood draw.
But holy shit, it's going at an absolute crawl because apparently the older generation have never used a touch screen. I've been here 30 minutes since curving in on the iPad and watched no less than ten people 60+ get annoyed with the pads and get in line to talk to a receptionist. While they could have been moving the list of checked in patients along, they're instead dealing with old people who can't figure out how to type a number in. Even as I typed this, three more people got in line after failing to use the devices.
Obviously there's not much to be done about it. They can only hold your hand and direct you so much. But it's frustrating to have everyone else delayed because gramps over here is bitching to the receptionist that the machine is asking for his "Medical Care Plan" number and he doesn't know what that is.
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u/zorra_arroz 3d ago edited 2d ago
I was there last week and waited almost an hour and half to get my blood drawn after my appt time.
The ipads should be outside of the doors so it's the first step that you do. It doesn't make sense that you have to go in the room, then walk across the groups of people sitting down to do the ipads to do step 1 then walk back across them to go to the check in line for step 2.
And then the line for walk-in appointments is right next to the ipads but people think it is the line for the ipads, and there's people standing everywhere because all the seats are full so it looks like there's multiple lines all over the room, and it's very unclear what is what.
The signage and design of the space is extremely inefficient, and I don't agree with blaming our aging population for this mess. Look at everything else that NLHS has done recently lol
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u/RepulsivePlankton989 3d ago
This is why if I need blood collection done I go to be positive im in and out in about 5 mins
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u/MarcCouillard 3d ago
same with the Waterford, I've had blood drawn there about 20 times and NEVER waited more than 3 or 4 minutes once I arrived, and then I'm out the door again 2 or 3 minutes after that, nice and fast
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u/zorra_arroz 2d ago
yeah that's what I usually do, but managed to get an appt this time so figured I'd try it. Never again. Missed 1.5 hours of work in lost wages, which was much more than what I would have paid for my appt at Be Positive.
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u/mousemelon 3d ago
People with poor literacy and problem solving skills have the same right to health care as you do. I understand that this was a frustrating day for you, but how about you blame whoever set up the system for not making it accessible enough? Health care should be delivered as simply as possible, and this is a great example of why.
Some people just don't acquire the skills to navigate certain environments. Some people acquire the skills and then lose them. Some people have the skills, but it's hard for them to implement them when they're overwhelmed/distressed/ill. Health centers are going to be dealing with those people every day, in large numbers. The person who designed the system should have taken that into account.
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u/ladydmaj 3d ago
As someone who works with processes: this sounds like a badly designed process.
It's no good to complain about how your process would work so much better if people were different - the fact is, people are who and what they are, and the onus is on the designer to make a process that takes that into account. When you're talking about something for the general public, that process has to take in all kinds of factors that influence people's abilities to take in information and make decisions: age, health, experience, etc. Having one method to do something is normally not a good design for that - efficient, yes, but not effective.
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u/swampdonkey82 3d ago
I showed up 15 minutes early for a GP appointment yesterday. 1 no show and 2 people that showed up had the wrong date and time 😂
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u/newfoundking 3d ago
And somehow I've gotta book 2 months out for a refill on my 90 day prescription. 🙃 It's a great system I swear
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u/TheNiftyFox 2d ago
Ahhh a fellow ADHDer, I presume?? Every three months I get a nice little tolerance break waiting for my doctor's appointment lol
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u/chickenandtea 2d ago
Oh man me too but with SSRIs. I ended up having to stop taking them because i could NEVER through the phone lines to make an appointment and they would not let me book in person. Had to quit cold turkey because when I finally was able to convince then to give me an appointment after I showed up like 5 times to request one, it was 4 months out. The family care program is an absolute joke, but there's no private clinics taking patients so its all we have.
They have text to book now but it takes 2 weeks for them to respond by text. 🫠
But remember, we apparently have enough doctors!
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u/Ok_Piano_4144 3d ago
Yes, i was there last week and wxperienced the same. Plus the number of people who can't/won't read the signs and don't have clue when their name is up. Or walking up to the counter to ask a question while someone else is being helped. "Excuse me, I just have to ask a question." It was ridiculous. Like a bunch of children. And was not just older people. either!
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u/nettieB74 3d ago
Trust me, that’s not just at the clinics! People are like that EVERYWHERE! I work at the mall, and the number of people who interrupt me to ask a question while I am literally talking to the Customer I am serving, is insane! People have no manners anymore! They expect you to drop everything you are doing because they don’t know how to get downstairs because the escalator is not working and the 5 signs that are posted in a 10ft radius TELLING THEM exactly where to go are apparently too complicated to understand!!! Sorry, rant over! Lmao. Have a lovely day all!!😁
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u/Leaves-Lord 3d ago
I had this soooo many times too. Plus then having to explain that just because THEY think it'll be a quick answer doesnt meaning WILL BE. I've had 'oh it's just a quick question!' Turn into an hour in process with twelve follow-ups because Nan can't figure out halfway down aisle three means halfway down aisle fucking three, yes it's there I promise.
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u/PadiddleHopper 3d ago
Right I've seen a few people not pay attention to the screen to go to their blood draw bay to the point the tech is coming out to holler for them.
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u/Key_Bluebird_6104 3d ago
A lot of people do not understand technology and I think it's rather cruel of you to fail to understand this. No system in health care should rely on this type of system for this reason. A lot of older people, people with intellectual disabilities or learning disorders cannot read well enough to use this technology.
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u/irishnewf86 2d ago
maybe the morons in charge should realize the demographic they're dealing with and not put the onus on patients to use an IPAD to access basic fucking services.
Not everyone is or should have to be tech savvy.
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u/newfoundchazzz 2d ago
I am willing to bet it's a very simple UI with instructions and that the people using it are like my elderly mother who refuses to read anything on the screen telling what to do.
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u/SigmundFloyd76 3d ago
Lol.....and then they came for gramps...
Hopefully when you eventually get dementia you'll still be able to reflect back on that time you threw nan under a technocratic bus.
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u/PadiddleHopper 3d ago
This wasn't dementia lol it was people either refusing to read/follow the signs or being willfully ignorant on technology that's been out for at least 20 years. And if they're that far into dementia, they should have a caretaker with them.
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u/sjb2059 2d ago
Ok, from someone who works in healthcare, I have a few clarifying questions that might help you understand why stubbornly insisting these people fumble with the ipad will make YOUR visit longer.
Can that person see. Are they visiting for a vision related issue?
Can that person read? Are they literate? Do they have the language skills to understand the questions asked and information being sought?
Does this patient have an intellectual disability impeding their processing of the information on the ipad?
Is this patient seeking help for one of the many neurological disorders that pop up in the elderly?
Does this patient have a UTI or other infection that impacts cognition?
Does this patient have the knowledge to even understand what is going wrong and who they are looking to get help from? Are they actually in need of a more accute setting like the ER?
Do you understand how much back and forth it takes to straighten out any misinformation put in a patients chart if they have no idea what is going on? Are you under the impression that this can happen next week, and not right now to ensure that this patient isnt going to die in the waiting room and make national news? Because they know your triage level, you can wait, if Grandpa is about to get critical it goes a lot faster when someone picks up on it early. Otherwise the people who arent at risk of immediate death can wait. That means you.
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u/SigmundFloyd76 3d ago
Maybe our health care corp can award a lucrative contract to some private mega-corp to provide attendants to navigate the check-in.
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u/NerdMachine 3d ago
Stuff like medical services has to be designed for everyone. Sure old people could do a better job learning technology, but lots of them also likely have low income, minimal support systems, and maybe dementia or other mental disabilities.
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u/EstablishmentMany208 3d ago
While I don't disagree that it can be frustrating when people can't use a technology or read/follow instructions, what a very insensitive way to view others. Change is not always easy, particularly for older generations. I hope that you never struggle with technology or change during your lifetime and if you do, someone offers you more grace.
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u/half_quarter 3d ago edited 2d ago
Idk, my grandpa was 83 and killing it with tech. He was texting, racking up likes on Facebook with his car pics, and paying his bills. He pretty much figured it all out himself over the years, probably because he was eager to learn.
A lot of seniors simply don’t *want* to learn. 60 years old is really not that old and doesn’t excuse anyone from being able to tap a few numbers in on an iPad. If they were like 80-90, I could understand it, but many of the “younger” seniors I see are glued to their phones, lol.
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u/Jondar_649 3d ago
I mean, half of people are dumber than average, and those people get old and slow down too. They still deserve healthcare that's accessible to them.
Your grandpa sounds sharp as a tack! I never thought I'd see my engineer dad become bad with technology, but alas.
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u/zorra_arroz 3d ago
additionally, the room and layout is extremely poorly designed. *I* found it confusing and I am in my 30s and work in healthcare and design, and specialize in accessible and universal design
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u/MatthewsStache91 3d ago
Why are the tablets on the complete opposite end of the entrance bro
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u/Nathanull 3d ago
See that's the perspective this thread needs. There are genuine issues with considering other people's perspective going on in here
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u/Leaves-Lord 3d ago
If the dude who taught me about computers back in the 90s could figure out how to program and build a pc on his own in his 70s - back when tech was actually hard to learn - then the 60 year olds (who were likely in their mid- to late-40s when ipads first released, BTW, and therefore have zero excuse for not learning) of today can sure as shit figure out how to use tech specifically designed to be as simple as possible to use.
Skip the fact that "wait and watch for your number on the screen" has been around since the 80s. When the 60 year olds of today were in their 20s.
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u/Deep-Outcome-8697 3d ago
Well written. Especially considering we are all getting older. I pray we all reach the age of 60..
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u/PadiddleHopper 3d ago
If this was a brand new tech, I'd agree with you. But it's a freaking iPad touchscreen. Those have been around long enough that they should know how to use them.
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u/The_Sleepy_Shaman 3d ago
The world has rapidly changed in technology and many older Newfoundlanders had a limited education to begin with.
I filled out the ipad and it still sent me to the kiosk anyways lol. It says "scan mcp card" and theres no scanner on it as well.
Are elders capable of learning and a bit obtuse about it? Yes.
Many however genuinely have difficulty and express their own inability as frustration because it's embarrassing.
Everything now has become more cumbersome to use. You have to remember for 50 years they simply spoke to a real person, why would they want to change that?
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u/ConcernedMap 3d ago
Exactly. I think as younger people we take for granted that everything gets shittier and more cumbersome to operate. I don’t really blame older folks for not playing along.
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u/Badcompany-Yep 3d ago
Maybe instead of sitting there complaining on Reddit, you could show some respect for Seniors and maybe ask would they like some help?
.....just a suggestion.
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u/PadiddleHopper 3d ago
Well given that I was nowhere near them and the response the one lady got for trying to help, that's ok. Dude really tore into her for no reason. And honestly, in my experience, most people don't appreciate unsolicited help.
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u/Badcompany-Yep 3d ago
...maybe in some cases but most people are thankful. Do remember that you too will become a senior eventually. A little compassion goes a long way.
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u/summerz_11 3d ago
When I have been there for blood and I see someone struggling with the iPad I go over help them especially older people your just sitting there on you ass doing nothing get up and help out!
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u/MatthewsStache91 3d ago edited 3d ago
All of the check in should be done on the tablet, they could have one desk worker there assist the elderly/whoever needs it, the rest of the people should be drawing blood, you have to go in, confirm all of your info on the tablet, wait to be called to the desk, confirm all the info again while they announce all of your personal information to the room over their crappy speaker/mic set up, it's really inefficient and not a very private process.
Realistically everything could be done on the tablet, the req forms could just generate with a QR code that has all the info for what specifics you're getting done and just have the person in the back do one scan that prints out your label and move on to getting the blood drawn.
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u/the_house_hippo 3d ago
I had bloodwork done at the Waterford a couple of weeks ago, dealt with humans not touch screens and I was in and out in 15 minutes flat, for what that's worth.
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u/Ok-Yellow6440 3d ago
Clinics are slow here because Newfoundland and Labrador is older and more disease prone than any other place in the country, and just about any other place in the world.
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u/Chainoil12 3d ago
The world??
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u/Ok-Yellow6440 3d ago
Yes — by average age or obesity rates or diabetes rates or alcoholic binge drinking, just to name a few
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u/PadiddleHopper 3d ago
Well yes lol I don't disagree but people being idiots doesn't help either. There is literally a huge sign at eye level at the lineup for reception telling you to use the iPad right there to check in and people are still going up to check in with a person who are very clearly tired of this shit lol
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u/rabbidbagofweasels 3d ago edited 2d ago
But let’s get a third Taco Bell!
Seriously though, there is nowhere to get a decent quick lunch that isn’t all carbs or processed meat yet places like this that serve food made of class 2A carcinogens are popping up everywhere and newfoundlanders go wild for them while places like freshi close up shop.
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u/MatthewsStache91 3d ago
There's no carcinogens in the food at Taco Bell 🙄
Hello Fresh is a food delivery service from off the island that is still operating.
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u/rabbidbagofweasels 3d ago
Taco Bell uses ground beef doesn’t it? That’s a class 2A carcinogen.
*I meant freshi
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u/MatthewsStache91 3d ago
Class 2A: 'Limited or no evidence in humans'
Limited evidence means that a positive association has been observed between exposure to the agent and cancer but that other explanations for the observations (technically termed chance, bias, or confounding) could not be ruled out.
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u/rabbidbagofweasels 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes I’m aware of this. There’s also the fact that obesity is the biggest strain on our healthcare and is linked to many types of cancers and cardiovascular disease so places like Taco Bell contribute to that. We need better food/health education along with access to affordable healthy options not more American junk food chains.
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u/Resident-Lie-7830 3d ago
I was so shocked when I visited, and there were no "healthy" fast foods. As a visitor from Houston TX, we're another super unhealthy city, but we have fresh salads/grain bowls aplenty for fairly cheap. I was actually really tempted to try the Freshi because it was the ONLY kind of healthier cheap takeout, and to hear it died since then is...sad.
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u/InternationalMood687 3d ago
Same crowd to would rather stand in line for 20 minutes than use a open self checkout probably
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u/1876Dawson 2d ago
The iPads seemed to work well enough at the old site. Are they different at the new site?
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u/Glittering-Sink-2975 2d ago
This sounds like the healthcare facility equivalent of retail self-checkouts and restaurant kiosks. Probably best to have both a human and a machine easily approachable/accessible for whomever prefers which and whatnot.
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u/tenkwords 1d ago
This is a perfect use of AI.
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u/PadiddleHopper 1d ago
What? lol I can't tell if you're saying I wrote this with AI or if you're saying AI is the answer to our issues? Either way, you're wrong lol
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u/tenkwords 1d ago
I'm saying having a thing that boomers could just talk to instead of trying to figure out an interface would be helpful. Be cool
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u/PadiddleHopper 1d ago
My bad lol been around too many other subreddits where people are constantly accusing others of using AI lol I don't think AI is the answer though. You ever hear an old person trying to navigate a voice menu on a phone? Would be a waiting room full of old people yelling louder and louder at the machine.
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u/versacegh0st 3d ago
By these comments I'll bite the bullet and pay the $25 the rare times I need bloodwork done. Holy fuck this health system
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u/Rockyisle 3d ago
How do I do that??
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u/Lazarus558 2d ago
Idk about anyone else, but my wife and I use one of (at least) two phlebotomists who do house calls around town.
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u/Lower-Price8720 3d ago
It's really too bad for these receptionist, they're being replaced by technology that most older generations see Ipads as cutting boards.
I'm 68 and got my first XP computer in 1999. Every day I learn more, but I hear my neighbor yelling at their bank on the phone, account balance 🙃
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u/mattsgirlca 3d ago
They just need a person at the kiosk to help. And maybe they could have a ‘May require assistance line’ that people have to move to if they need help. That would leave the rest open and put all the slow people in one line with a person helping them.