New Yorkers Feel Anxious About Medical Appointments

Going to the doctor is not always easy. Work, family duties, transportation problems, cost, and anxiety all make it harder to keep an appointment. A new study suggests appointment anxiety may be a bigger problem for New Yorkers than actually forgetting to show up.

New York Ranks High for Appointment Stress

Healthcare company Tebra surveyed 1,000 Americans about their appointments. It also looked at Google searches connected to scheduling, canceling, and missing appointments. New York is 11th in the country for appointment problems. The state had about 624 related searches for every 100,000 residents.

Anxiety Appears to Be a Major Concern

New York ranked sixth in the country for searches connected to appointment anxiety. There were over 500 anxiety related searches for every 100,000 residents. This suggests many New Yorkers feel nervous before seeing a doctor or dentist. However, it doesn't tell us how many people feel anxious or why.

New Yorkers Are Not Searching About No-Shows

Although New York ranked high for anxiety, it ranked much lower for searches about actually missing appointments. New York placed 38th in the country, with about 26 missed appointment searches for every 100,000 residents.

Canceling and Rescheduling Are Less Common Concerns

New York ranked 21st for searches about canceling medical appointments and 18th for rescheduling searches. These numbers suggest that New Yorkers may worry about appointments even when they still plan to attend.

Missing Care Is Not Always About Forgetting

People miss medical appointments for many reasons. Some can't get time off from work. They may have trouble finding transportation or child care. Cost and fear can also be a problem. The study shows that reminders can help, but they do not solve every problem.