{"id":18381,"date":"2019-10-18T11:40:42","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T16:40:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=18381"},"modified":"2023-03-03T15:27:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T20:27:32","slug":"how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to listening, doctors don\u2019t necessarily have the best track record. You can chalk it up to time constraints or power imbalances in the exam room, but patients complain about not feeling heard all the time. Research backs up the gripe: In <\/span>one 2019 study<\/span><\/a>, researchers analyzed 112 doctor-patient encounters and found that doctors only heard patient concerns 36 percent of the time. In more than half of the encounters, doctors only let patients talk for an average of 11 seconds before butting in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interrupting isn\u2019t merely an annoyance for patients; it\u2019s an impediment to high-quality care. \u201cIf clinicians are feeling pressured by time commitments and are frequently interrupting patients, they might miss important information and have a superficial understanding of the main concerns of their patients,\u201d says Dr. <\/span>Naykky Singh Ospina,<\/span><\/a> an internist who coauthored the study.<\/span><\/p>\n

To their credit, many doctors are working on their listening skills. Singh Ospina says there\u2019s an increased emphasis on improving patient-clinician interactions in health systems across the country. Still, patients can improve their chances of having productive, two-sided conversations during appointments. Here are expert-backed tips to help you catch, and hold, your doctor’s attention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bring notes to your appointment<\/span><\/h2>\n

Kate Sweeny<\/span><\/a>, a health psychologist at the University of California-Riverside, says going to your appointment with a plan for what you want to say and ask can be an effective way to make sure you get all your questions answered \u2014 especially if the doctor bulldozes the conversation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To prevent yourself from losing track of your thoughts while the doctor is talking, Sweeny recommends writing down specific questions or talking points beforehand. \u201cIt can be helpful if you have your plan written down in some way,\u201d she says, \u201cbecause it makes clear to the doctor that you\u2019re not just rambling. You have a plan, and it was important enough to write down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Your notebook can also act as a buffer during potentially awkward interactions. If the doctor won\u2019t let you get a word in or seems to be rushing through your appointment, you can point to your notes to signal that you still have more questions to ask.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If polite pointing doesn\u2019t do the trick, speak up. \u201cBring out your list and say \u2018I want to make sure my top priorities get addressed,\u201d says Dr. <\/span>Donna Zulman<\/span><\/a>, a primary care physician at Stanford Health Care who researches healthcare delivery for patients with chronic conditions. \u201cAnd if time runs out, you can always ask for your doctor to make a note in your chart or set up another appointment related to your notes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hit your checklist quickly\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

At the beginning of an appointment, most doctors will ask \u201cHow are you?\u201d or \u201cWhat can I do for you today?\u201d Zulman recommends using that introductory question as a trigger to share your most important concerns.<\/span> \u201cEvery moment in an appointment is precious, so it can be really helpful for me when I understand what\u2019s really important to the patient so I know what to address,\u201d says Zulman. \u201cWhen the doctor asks how you\u2019re doing, you can answer, and then say \u2018There are three things I want to talk about today, and the most important thing is such and such.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, don\u2019t get too caught up in pleasantries. If you lay out your needs directly and clearly, you\u2019ll give your doctor something to focus on off the bat, which can help prevent interruptions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Humanize the interaction<\/span><\/h2>\n

While it\u2019s important to hit your agenda items during an appointment, Zulman is hesitant to suggest skipping small talk altogether. Research suggests<\/a> that most doctors choose to pursue medicine because they want to help people, but job pressures monopolize their time and get in the way of connecting with patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hearing about your health goals can remind a doctor that you\u2019re a person with interests and values. For instance, explain that you want to fix your sleep problems so you\u2019ll have enough energy to play with your kids, or that you\u2019re trying to work out regularly to help manage your anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you keep the interaction purely transactional,\u201d she says, \u201cthere\u2019s a potential risk of missing the relationship piece that could really help your doctor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On the flip side, Zulman says engaging with the doctor about their personal life can have similar benefits. \u201cBringing up human things in conversation can help bring the clinician back to the present to remind them what their work is all about,\u201d says Zulman, \u201cand out of the mindset of quality metrics and time issues.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI find it really helpful if a patient sends me a message ahead of time about their priorities in the next appointment.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Getting to know your doctor might not only forestall interruptions, but could have other benefits as well,” says Lauren Howe, a social psychologist who studies the role of social relationships in organizational settings including healthcare. “Some research suggests that engaging more socially with a provider can improve patients’ response to treatment, perhaps by cultivating trust.”<\/p>\n

These human interactions, Howe adds, “don’t necessarily require taking more of doctors’ time, just spending the time you have differently \u2014 smiling, making more eye contact, a short comment here and there.”<\/p>\n

Offload responsibility<\/span><\/h2>\n

Time constraints are an unfortunate reality in healthcare, and something doctors frequently lament themselves. <\/span>The pressure to manage heavy patient loads; the <\/span>decision fatigue<\/span><\/a> that comes with seeing so many patients back to back; and the added work of updating patients\u2019 electronic health records \u2014 these are all stressors that can interfere with the patient-doctor relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the need to stay on schedule may be the reason a doctor interrupts you, there are ways to maximize the time you do have and make your appointment feel less hurried. One thing you can try to do is lighten your doctor\u2019s workload by making use of other providers and staff who work in the same practice or facility. For example, Zulman says many doctors\u2019 offices have clinical pharmacists who can help with medication management. And if you have a chronic illness that requires closer monitoring, your doctor may be able to recommend other in-office services.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re finding you have a lot of issues going on and you\u2019re not getting time with the doctor, you can always ask about other services to offload some of those routine tasks,\u201d Zulman says. \u201cThat way, your doctor can focus on the things they\u2019re most equipped to do.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prep your doctor<\/span><\/h2>\n

You can also prep your doctor ahead of time by asking them to add your next appointment\u2019s priorities to your chart, or by messaging them through an online patient portal. Giving your clinician an idea of what you\u2019d like to discuss can help them stay on track during your time together, and potentially prevent unwelcome interruptions or one-sided conversations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI find it really helpful if a patient sends me a message ahead of time about their priorities in the next appointment,\u201d says Zulman. \u201cI can take that information and put it into my pre-charted note for them and possibly even give it some thought beforehand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t take it personally<\/span><\/h2>\n

“If your doctor interrupts you,” Howe says, “it’s probably because they are exhausted, under time pressure, or otherwise stressed by their job, and not because they don’t think that listening to you is important.”<\/p>\n

When we judge other people’s behavior, Howe explains, “we often overweight their personality or disposition as an explanatory factor and underweight situational factors.” In psych research, this habit is called the fundamental attribution error<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you feel like a doctor is being rude, remind yourself that it probably has nothing to do with you, and may not be an accurate reflection of their personality.<\/p>\n

“Instead of getting stressed out or angry about being interrupted,” Howe says, “we can simply take a moment and then re-state what we were trying to say.”<\/p>\n

\n

This story has been updated with additional quotes.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Ready to book a doctor’s appointment? Visit Zocdoc.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In one study, doctors let patients speak for 11 seconds, on average, before butting in. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":18425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[108,69,163],"class_list":["post-18381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-doctors-and-patients","tag-the-psychology-of-being-a-patient","tag-weve-all-been-there","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors - Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In one study, doctors let patients speak for 11 seconds, on average, before butting in.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors - Guides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In one study, doctors let patients speak for 11 seconds, on average, before butting in.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Paper Gown\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-10-18T16:40:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-03T20:27:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"4034\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1884\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ashley Abramson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ashleyabrmsn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ashley Abramson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ashley Abramson\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a25c642efad8fd930ba3d310498e814b\"},\"headline\":\"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-18T16:40:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-03T20:27:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/\"},\"wordCount\":1348,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Doctors & Patients\",\"The Psychology of Being a Patient\",\"We've All Been There\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Guides\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/\",\"name\":\"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors - Guides\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-18T16:40:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-03T20:27:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"In one study, doctors let patients speak for 11 seconds, on average, before butting in.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png\",\"width\":4034,\"height\":1884,\"caption\":\"Kelsey Tyler\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Guides\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/category\/guides\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"The Paper Gown\",\"description\":\"Stories for and about patients\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Zocdoc\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png\",\"width\":2059,\"height\":1049,\"caption\":\"Zocdoc\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a25c642efad8fd930ba3d310498e814b\",\"name\":\"Ashley Abramson\",\"description\":\"Ashley Abramson is a writer in Minneapolis.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/ashleyabrmsn\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/author\/ashleyabramson\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors - Guides","description":"In one study, doctors let patients speak for 11 seconds, on average, before butting in.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors - Guides","og_description":"In one study, doctors let patients speak for 11 seconds, on average, before butting in.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/","og_site_name":"The Paper Gown","article_published_time":"2019-10-18T16:40:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-03T20:27:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":4034,"height":1884,"url":"https:\/\/zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Ashley Abramson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ashleyabrmsn","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ashley Abramson","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/"},"author":{"name":"Ashley Abramson","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a25c642efad8fd930ba3d310498e814b"},"headline":"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors","datePublished":"2019-10-18T16:40:42+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-03T20:27:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/"},"wordCount":1348,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png","keywords":["Doctors & Patients","The Psychology of Being a Patient","We've All Been There"],"articleSection":["Guides"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/","name":"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors - Guides","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png","datePublished":"2019-10-18T16:40:42+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-03T20:27:32+00:00","description":"In one study, doctors let patients speak for 11 seconds, on average, before butting in.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HeroGeneral-Patient-Care2-01.png","width":4034,"height":1884,"caption":"Kelsey Tyler"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-prevent-doctors-from-interrupting-you\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Guides","item":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/category\/guides\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Protect Yourself Against Interrupting Doctors"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/","name":"The Paper Gown","description":"Stories for and about patients","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Zocdoc","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png","width":2059,"height":1049,"caption":"Zocdoc"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a25c642efad8fd930ba3d310498e814b","name":"Ashley Abramson","description":"Ashley Abramson is a writer in Minneapolis.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/ashleyabrmsn"],"url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/author\/ashleyabramson\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}