The average American spends 121 minutes at a doctor’s appointment, but less than 15 minutes of that time is actually spent with the doctor.
I think that’s unacceptable.
Last winter, I treated a young factory worker with a painful sinus infection who’d already spent over two hours in my waiting room. When I finally saw him, he told me he’d lost half a day’s wages and had to find emergency childcare – all for a 15-minute appointment that ended with a simple prescription.Â
His face showed both relief for getting care and frustration at the system that made it so difficult.
That moment crystallized what I’ve known for years: healthcare’s waiting problem isn’t just an inconvenience – it’s harmful.
The Hidden Costs of Waiting for Care
When you’re sick with an acute infection, every hour matters. Waiting isn’t just uncomfortable – it can lead to worsening symptoms, complications, and spreading illness to others.
The numbers tell a troubling story. The average urgent care visit takes 2-3 hours of a patient’s day, while emergency room waits can stretch to 4+ hours. For primary care, you might wait days or even weeks for an appointment, then still spend 1-2 hours in the waiting room!
These delays affect real lives:
- Parents missing work and losing income
- Students falling behind in classes
- Infections worsening while waiting for treatment
- Anxiety and stress adding to physical symptoms
In rural areas of Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois, where ChatRx is initially launching, the problem is even worse. Many counties have doctor shortages, meaning longer drives and longer waits once you arrive.
Healthcare Struggles with Wait Times
As a physician who’s worked in various settings, I understand why this problem exists:
- Clinics book back-to-back appointments with no buffer for complex cases
- Staffing shortages mean fewer providers seeing more patients
- Paperwork and insurance requirements consume precious time
- Walk-in patients with urgent needs disrupt scheduled appointments
The system is designed around provider efficiency, not patient time. And while dedicated healthcare workers do their best, they’re trapped in a broken system.
Rethinking Acute Care from the Ground Up
When I created ChatRx, I started with a simple question: what if we eliminated waiting entirely? Our solution provides immediate, AI-powered assessment and treatment plans for common acute infections – all through an asynchronous chat interface. This means:
- No scheduling appointments or taking time off work
- No driving to a clinic or sitting in waiting rooms
- No exposure to other sick people
- No waiting for the doctor to be available
Instead, you simply describe your symptoms through our secure platform. Our AI system, backed by physician oversight, evaluates your condition and provides appropriate care right away – whether that’s a prescription sent to your pharmacy, detailed self-care instructions, or guidance to seek emergency care if needed.
Making a Difference in Real Communities
I can already visualise the impact across the Midwest. A single mother in Detroit will be able to receive treatment for her urinary tract infection at 10 PM after her children were asleep – no babysitter needed. A truck driver in rural Indiana will be able to access care from his cab during a rest break instead of trying to find an urgent care along his route.
For factory workers in Michigan, where taking time off can mean lost wages, ChatRx will be particularly valuable. We estimate that manufacturing plants will reported a 20-25% reduction in missed work hours for medical appointments after using ChatRx for medical care!
The time savings look to be substantial. Our average patient will receive appropriate care within 8-10 minutes of starting their assessment – compared to the national average of 121 minutes spent at in-person appointments!
Medical Care That Respects Your Time
After three decades in medicine, I believe patients deserve healthcare that values their time as much as their health. The two are connected – when we make care more accessible by removing wait times, people get treatment sooner, recover faster, and experience less disruption to their lives.
ChatRx isn’t just about convenience – it’s about creating a fundamentally more humane healthcare experience. One where you don’t have to choose between getting treatment and meeting your other responsibilities.
As we expand from our initial Midwest launch to nationwide coverage, I’m excited to see how many more patients we can help get back to their lives faster, healthier, and without the frustration of waiting.
Ready to skip the waiting room forever? Join us in reimagining what healthcare can be.
Consider Joining Our Pre-launch Waitlist
ChatRx is launching soon. Why not join the ChatRx pre-launch waitlist to be among the first to experience the future of acute infection care?
