The most important measure of quality in a medical system is how quickly you can get an appointment. Bad things don’t always happen when you wait for medical care, but it is far better for you to consult in a timely way with your doctor, and then decide in an informed way whether to wait or proceed, rather than let the decision be made for you by an overloaded system.

In my practice, I do not interact with any electronic databases or insurance plans. With less of my time spent on administration, my patients, new or established, spend less time waiting for appointments. When I refer patients to colleagues in other specialities, I prefer practices with shorter wait times.