Cell Phone Etiquette

This is something that has bothered me for quite a while. Most people seem to know the common courtesies that everyone has come to expect; however, some just seem to totally disregard those courtesies...You see it everywhere now, people with their phone glued to their ear while shopping, driving, walking their pet, even while in the doctor's office. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the freedom and connectivity that my cell phone provides, however, I would never even dream of wasting your time by using my phone during your visit to my clinic. Sure, I may text or browse the internet while in the waiting room at my physician's office, but I turn it off before even entering the room. It doesn't seem to bother some people, though, to use their phone during their office visit with me. These people don't seem to realize that, by using their cell phone during a visit with their veterinarian or doctor, it's not only rude and very distracting to the doctor, but it takes valuable time away from the health of their pet or someone else's. In some instances, this can be very detrimental to the patient.

Apparantly I'm not alone, here's a medical journal article that surveyed neurologists at a 2006 convention. It found that in addition to appointment no-shows and poor patient compliance, cell phone use was among the most highly rated as bothersome patient behaviors that may have deleterious effects on patient care. And here's an exerpt from another veterinarian's blog about the subject...Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM writes..."I was working my way through a busy schedule at the office. I entered an exam room for my next appointment and found that my patient’s owner was on his cell phone. I waited a minute or two for him to hang up, but he continued his conversation. Since there were several other pets and people waiting, and since the man did not appear to be in a hurry, I left the room and saw the patient who was next in line. After that, I returned to the first room. The man was mad. Actually, he was beyond mad. He was incensed that I had skipped him. I thought my actions made sense but he didn’t see it my way. He left the office in a huff."

Dr. Barchas goes on to say that he mentioned that story to a client, who had a story of her own...the client had a friend who was a highly sought-after oncologist. This oncologist was very good and patients would commonly wait months to get an appointment. One day a particularly cell-chatty patient came in, the doctor entered the room and the patient continues her cell-conversation. The oncologist was very diligent to spend equal time with each patient and always kept on schedule; her policy on patient cell phone use was to wait in the room while her patient was on the phone, and if the patient used all of their appointment time talking on their cell, then she would leave the room on-time and charge the patient for an office visit. If the patient wanted to re-schedule, it often meant waiting months for a new appointment that could potentially save their life.

Dr. Barchas writes, "Over the years I have tried many tricks to deal with cell phone addicts. My current favorite is to enter the exam room and begin the appointment no matter what...I start talking to them and asking questions as if I had their undivided attention. This forces them into a choice: talk to the person whose time they’re paying for, or talk to their friend. It’s a difficult choice for many people...but there is nothing wrong with being unconnected every now and then. Using your cell phones in doctors’ offices is not just rude. It costs you and your pet time and attention from someone who is trying to help you."

I have to agree with my colleagues, I mean, it seems most people understand that using your phone during a visit with someone, whose time you're paying for, just makes no sense; but for those who are addicted to the devices, I suppose it's difficult to put it down. Nevertheless, please use some discretion and have the courtesy to refrain from using your cell while in the room with your doctor or your pet's doctor.