23 Comments
On average, how long do you have to travel to see your primary diabetes health care provider?
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45 minutes, But the last 3 visits have been remote video links.
The 42-mile trip takes:
1-1/4 hours during normal hours
2 hours during rush hour (going only, does not include returning)
0 hours during zoom visits
Now you tell me which is better?
About 40 minutes to get to the one endocrinologist I have found that is worth seeing. There are plenty closer, but travel time is far less important to me than quality care.
I see a NP and an RN who travel to my hometown which saves me the trip of over an hour. It used to take the better part of a day with a meal to see this practice in a larger city. Several NPs work under the head endocrinologist and if he leaves, they cannot carry on. Sometimes I question the NPs who have suggested hormone replacement therapy which I declined, and the lab tests of C-Peptide and GAD65 this month after taking insulin for the past 23 years is also questionable. But I did these fasting labs to document that I am an autoimmune diabetic with LADA, but I knew that without this validation of lab numbers.
If I went to the primary office it would take about an hour and a half. However, my doctor comes to the office in a local rural community so it only takes about 40 mins.
Currently, I am living in a suburban area, and medical facilities are everywhere. I have about a 40 minute drive. However, for many years I drove five hours, each way, to see my Endo, in Syracuse, NY. It was an all day affair, but worth it to see a doctor who I trusted and who helped me at the Joslin Clinic
I live in a remote area in Montana. I travel to Billings 1:15 hours away. It is so worth it. Best endo I have ever had and I have been type 1 for 45 years. Plus it is a beautiful drive.
2.5 hours
The question doesn’t make sense. I have a primary care physician and an endocrinologist. Different hospital affiliations. Both about 45 minutes travel.
As the crow flies, my Endo is about 65 miles away. However I have to first go west for 8 miles, then turn east and go over Donner Summit to get the Endo in Truckee. It’s easy in the dry months, and often challenging in the winter.
Less than 5 minutes. I live in a mixed use area near a large medical school and medical complex. I can walk to all of my doctors, hospitals, etc. it is why we chose our condo.
3 minutes away which is why I chose him because I work a lot of hours and in a lot of meetings. He is not my first choice. When I retire in 2 years, I may travel farther to get better care. When I left Baltimore with my first Endo who was very progressive and moved to FLorida, my Balto Endo suggested I go to University of S. Fla for best progressive care. I’ll be able to do that when I retire.
Depending on the weather and appointment time, when I was driving it would take me approximately 25 minutes. Now that I’m not driving and using Madison Metro Paratransit services for transportation it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to clinic endo appointments.
One of the best endos in Minnesota is 2 hours away when traffic is light in St Paul. I will have one final visit with him in November as he retires at the end of the year. My daughter’s endo is 5 minutes from me. I might have to pay her a visit in 2022.
Most of my visits have been virtual.
Guess I’m in the minority on this issue. Wife and I travel 1.5 to 2hours to see our Endo. We had a local one but then all the locals teamed up and no one took Tricare in Savannah, GA. One started to take our insurance but said she wasn’t going to take me on as a patient. Guess being a LADA (Type 1.5) was too muck for her. So we travel to Charleston SC. I love my Endo she has moved offices 3 times and each time we return to her. If you have an excellent Doc do whatever you can to keep them.
Unfortunately, since moving to California I have not been able to meet my primary diabetes health care provider in person.
Prior to moving it took me about 10 minutes to drive to the UMass ACC building.
10 minutes unless I ride my bicycle. Then its about 25 min.
It varies according to whether my husband is available to take me or not.
If he is available, it takes about 25min. If he’s not available, the buses take me more than 2hrs.
My primary care physician is less than 30’ away by bus or walking.
But the endocrinologist can take up to 45’ minutes by bus + light rail + bus. I usually allow an hour to be on the safe side. Better to arrive early than late. Most of my questions get answered using email on a “secure” provider’s app or website. Video chats & audio chats are other available options.
I chose 1 hour – 1.5 hours. I have to walk to a bus stop, wait for the bus and then there’s the actual bus ride. Always loads of traffic even though the distance isn’t that great. The bus ride itself is usually under an hour but the walking & waiting adds to it.
I had to go virtual and get someone across the state because no one in my area was worth a damn. She’s very good though. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything by doing virtual sessions.
I used to travel less than 10 minutes to my endocrinologist. Because it is so difficult to find a provider who really connects and understands, I did not want to leave her practice when we moved. So, I travel 2,000+ miles once a year to see her and, otherwise, do telemed visits.