Atlanta doctors have long waits but patients say they are thorough

Atlanta ranks 14th among 50 major U.S. cities for both the longest wait times at doctors’ offices and for having the most attentive doctors, according to a January 2026 analysis of 1.36 million patient reviews.

What’s Happening: Solitaire Bliss analyzed Google reviews from 6,139 doctors’ offices nationwide, searching for 80 keywords related to wait times, rushed appointments, and quality of care. Atlanta appeared in both the longest-wait and most-attentive categories at the same ranking position.

What’s Important: The analysis found patients in Atlanta frequently mention both long waits and positive care experiences. The most common positive keywords in Atlanta reviews were thorough, caring, attentive, compassionate, and thoughtful. The most common negative keywords were long wait, disorganized, understaffed, running behind, and no explanation.

How This Affects Real People: Patients scheduling appointments in Atlanta may experience longer-than-average wait times but are also more likely to receive attentive care once seen by their doctor.

The Path Forward: The analysis suggests Atlanta’s healthcare system reflects a national tension where thorough, attentive care for individual patients creates longer waits for others. As patient volumes and staffing challenges continue, Atlanta residents may need to balance scheduling flexibility with access to higher-quality care interactions.

The Bigger Picture: Nationwide, Riverside, California had the longest waits and most rushed appointments. New York, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. ranked highest on a “worth the wait” index that measured cities scoring above median for both long waits and attentive doctors. Atlanta did not appear in the top rankings for either extreme.

By the Numbers: The study reviewed 1.36 million Google reviews from doctors’ offices in 50 major U.S. cities. The analysis focused on family practice physicians, pediatricians, and internists.