The medical profession has been plagued by an age old problem of angry patient complaints regarding long waiting times to be seen by doctors in their offices. This concern is aggravated by the fact patients are sick, uncomfortable and worry about being exposed to other illnesses or becoming sicker during the wait. Shortening wait times and changing a historic perspective is part of a nationwide move toward empowering patients, reducing medical errors and improving health care.
Patient satisfaction, based on research, was lower than anticipated for patients who waited over 20 minutes. The patient satisfaction continued to degrade for every additional 10 minutes of wait time (Camacho, et al, 2006).
The literature on perceived quality of primary care indicates that key attributes of health care valued by patients are patient-centered, including time spent with the physician, willingness of the physician to listen to the patient, and other measures of patient empathy (Camacho, et al, 2006).
The literature also supports the fact that as the wait time increases in the lobby, exam room or treatment room increases in 5% increments the patient satisfaction decreases at the same rate. (Micheal, et al, 2013).
The keys to resolving the issues at the office are fine-tuning appointment scheduling, expediting patient registration and creating a culture that respects the value of the patient’s time. In addition, effective communication with waiting patients can help to ease the perception and stress of the office visit. When scheduling patients it is important to tell them how long the visit may last. For example, a new patient might be told to plan on one hour for their first visit. Thus, we have set a time frame in their mind. Our role is to ensure the visit is actually one hour.
The most difficult problem may be changing patient behavior and unrealistic expectations. Patients have pre-conceived thoughts about the office visit and dread the wait time. Thus, if our process becomes quicker, simpler or more pleasant we may effect change in the patient’s behavior and attitude.
Stepping back and realistically looking at office process and procedure with an open mind may guide changes to improve patient satisfaction with the experience of visiting the practice. Remember, word of mouth influences patient referrals and overall development of strong professional relationships with the provider.
