{"id":1293,"date":"2019-08-03T05:16:17","date_gmt":"2019-08-02T23:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/functionalnutritionlab.com\/blog\/?p=1293"},"modified":"2025-08-28T14:53:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:53:32","slug":"the-appointment-gap-in-healthcare-and-why-we-need-a-new-type-of-practitioner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fxnutrition.com\/blog\/the-appointment-gap-in-healthcare-and-why-we-need-a-new-type-of-practitioner","title":{"rendered":"The Appointment GAP in healthcare (and why we need a new type of practitioner)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our healthcare system is riddled with GAPS. GAPS in care, understanding, time, finances, and more. Both patients and<\/em> practitioners suffer from these GAPS, and it\u2019s time we fill them. To do so, we need to bring diet and lifestyle modification to the forefront of care.<\/p>\n

Last week we dove deep into the Knowledge GAP<\/a>\u2014the chasm patients fall into when they lack complete understanding of what\u2019s going on in their bodies, what actions they can take in their everyday to make sustainable change, and what they need to know in order to advocate for themselves in the system.<\/p>\n

Another GAP that deserves our attention is the Appointment GAP. This GAP is multifaceted, and critically impacted by specific challenges our taxed healthcare system is already trying to address.<\/p>\n

No-Shows<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s estimated that between 5 and 40% of appointments in healthcare offices are no-shows, depending on the field. A no-show is constituted as no cancellation and no arrival.<\/p>\n

There are a number of reasons for no-show appointments:<\/p>\n

– Patients are discouraged<\/em>. It can take over 18 days to get a routine appointment with a doctor. For specialty doctors\u2014whether they be Functional or Integrative physicians or holistic docs that narrow their practices to one particular condition or ailment\u2014it could take months or even years!<\/p>\n

– Patients are more than their symptoms<\/em>. Anxiety, real-life logistical challenges, and even knowledge or literacy regarding the reason for the appointment can lead to no-shows. When it comes to chronic health challenges, it will more likely be one of those initial reasons, as the patient has been waiting for a very long time<\/em>!<\/p>\n

– Patients have pockets<\/em>. Another reason appointments are skipped is because of finances. When people find out the cost of the services they\u2019re pursuing in medicine, nearly 50 million of them will opt-out for fear of the impending pay-out.<\/p>\n

Where does this leave those patients?<\/p>\n

Sick. Tired. Frustrated. And just not getting better.<\/p>\n

15-Minute Visit<\/h2>\n

Doctor\u2019s visits are actually said to be more like 7-minutes these days, but we\u2019ll give them 15 for the moment.<\/p>\n

15 minutes to examine, evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe.<\/p>\n

– No time<\/em> to learn a patient\u2019s history beyond the checked boxes cataloging familial disease trends and the individual\u2019s personal history with procedures and medications.- No time<\/em> to truly listen<\/em> to the patient.
\n– No time<\/em> to glean what they\u2019ve done on their own to try and resolve their condition.
\n– No time<\/em> to understand their diet and lifestyle habits\u2014even if they do happen to know that diet and lifestyle modification matter.
\n– No time<\/em> to learn their fears, hopes, inspirations and intuitions about their own bodies.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, these 15-minute visits are often many months apart. Even patients with chronic conditions often don\u2019t see their General Practitioner more than twice a year.<\/p>\n

This begs the questions:<\/p>\n