How do your patients feel about their wait time experiences?
We have analysed our reviews from across the UK, UAE, Germany, Austria and Australia to find out how wait time experiences affect patient satisfaction.
How do your patients feel about their wait time experiences?
We have analysed our reviews from across the UK, UAE, Germany, Austria and Australia to find out how wait time experiences affect patient satisfaction.
Now is a particularly timely moment to be discussing wait time experiences, with many services facing a backlog of non-COVID-19 care.
We understand that these extended delays are likely out of your control right now. But, there are ways to prevent them from affecting your patients’ overall satisfaction.
The patient feedback that has been collected through Doctify over the past six years shows that long waits don’t necessarily have to equate to patient dissatisfaction. How a patient experiences their wait – which is referred to as their wait time experience – is often a lot more important than its duration.
Now is a particularly timely moment to be discussing wait time experiences, with many services facing a backlog of non-COVID-19 care.
We understand that these extended delays are likely out of your control right now. But, there are ways to prevent them from affecting your patients’ overall satisfaction.
The patient feedback that has been collected through Doctify over the past six years shows that long waits don’t necessarily have to equate to patient dissatisfaction. How a patient experiences their wait – which is referred to as their wait time experience – is often a lot more important than its duration.
Patients will often talk about their wait time experiences when writing reviews. This is because it is a tangible aspect of their journey that they can use to evaluate the quality of your services.
As patients place so much importance on their wait time experiences, it is important to get them right.
We have analysed our reviews to find out what makes a positive or negative wait time experience for patients. We have also looked at how and why wait time experiences have such a strong influence on their overall satisfaction.
In the spirit of continuous improvement, we are sharing our findings to support the sector as a whole in delivering the highest quality of care to their patients.
Patients will often talk about their wait time experiences when writing reviews. This is because it is a tangible aspect of their journey that they can use to evaluate the quality of your services.
As patients place so much importance on their wait time experiences, it is important to get them right.
We have analysed our reviews to find out what makes a positive or negative wait time experience for patients. We have also looked at how and why wait time experiences have such a strong influence on their overall satisfaction.
In the spirit of continuous improvement, we are sharing our findings to support the sector as a whole in delivering the highest quality of care to their patients.
The difference between actual wait times and perceived wait times
The difference between actual wait times and perceived wait times
A perceived wait time is a more accurate predictor of patient satisfaction than actual wait time.
When a patient has a positive wait time experience, they will often underestimate or disregard its duration.
Whereas, a negative wait experience can cause patients to overestimate and hyperfocus on the time.
If you are able to give your patients an outstanding wait time experience – regardless of its duration – this can improve their perceived wait time and their overall satisfaction.
Two thirds of patients are completely satisfied with their wait time experiences.
Two thirds of patients are completely satisfied with their wait time experiences.
We wanted to find out what goes into a 5* wait time experience. So, we have analysed every piece of feedback referencing a positive wait time experience to find out what patients regularly mention.
People want to be seen, heard and cared for as they wait
“Kind”, “helpful” and “lovely” are terms that are used time-and-time again to describe non-clinical staff during 5* wait time experiences.
Patients appreciate when non-clinical teams are personable, responsive and accommodating. They value warm greetings and friendly interactions. And, they want to feel comfortable enough to ask questions and see the information that they need as they wait.
When patients feel properly supported and cared for by non-clinical staff members, it leaves them with a good first impression. It also helps them to feel less alone and isolated as they wait, reducing any anxiety that they have about the healthcare journey ahead of them.
Patients value operational efficiency
A word that is often used in reviews that reference 5* wait time experiences is “efficient”.
When your practice runs smoothly, patients notice. They often feel the most satisfied when their wait time experiences are well-organised, well-ordered and follow a logical path.
Patients’ positive descriptions confirm your quality to others
When patients have 5* wait time experiences, they often use intense positive language such as “excellent”, “best” and “amazing” when leaving feedback.
The quality of language indicates the degree to which the speaker’s attitude toward a concept deviates from neutrality.
– Language intensity, social introversion, and attitude change by J. W. Bower
When patients use high-emotion descriptors in reviews, they can trigger action-related behaviours in those reading the feedback. The words illustrate that patients have been extremely satisfied with your practice, serving as a stamp of approval for others looking into their healthcare options.
Patients will recommend good wait time experiences to others
When a patient has a positive wait time experience, our reviews show that they are eager to recommend it to other people.
84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as word-of-mouth suggestions. And with 71% of people using online reviews to find new doctors, dentists and other healthcare specialists, these recommendations can help you to make a good first impression of potential new patients.
Accessing healthcare can be an emotionally charged time for patients. They will often feel stressed and worried, fearful of the unfamiliar road that lies ahead of them.
Accessing healthcare can be an emotionally charged time for patients. They will often feel stressed and worried, fearful of the unfamiliar road that lies ahead of them.
Our review data shows that positive wait time experiences can mitigate this fear. They help patients to feel “at ease”, “comfortable” and “happy” ahead of their appointments, consultations or test results instead.
The Emotions as Social Information (EASI) Model
When people talk about their emotions in online reviews, it can influence the reader of the feedback. The emotional content can affect their perception of your practice.
When positive emotions are expressed, the person reading the review will typically attribute that emotion to your practice. It acts as a form of validation, confirming the high standard of care that your patients experience with you.
While great care is delivered everyday across the healthcare industry, sometimes things can go wrong. We believe that it is important not to shy away from these moments, but to look at how they can help the sector as a whole to improve.
When analysing our review data, we found that one third of patients don’t receive 5* star wait time experiences. Here are the reasons why:
While great care is delivered everyday across the healthcare industry, sometimes things can go wrong. We believe that it is important not to shy away from these moments, but to look at how they can help the sector as a whole to improve.
When analysing our review data, we found that one third of patients don’t receive 5* star wait time experiences. Here are the reasons why:
Patients mention time after negative wait time experiences
When someone concentrates on the passage of time, it is often indicative of the person being unoccupied and feeling bored. In these moments, time can feel as though it is standing still.
It is a common experience that a two minute wait can feel like nothing at all, or can feel like ‘forever’.
– The Psychology of Waiting Lines by David H. Maister
In reviews mentioning negative wait time experiences, patients will often talk about its duration. This suggests that negative wait time experiences are ones where patients are without positive distractions. This causes waits to feel longer and more drawn out, resulting in patients becoming impatient, frustrated and feeling that their experiences are worthy of negative feedback.
Patients mention time after negative wait time experiences
It is a common experience that a two minute wait can feel like nothing at all, or can feel like ‘forever’.
– The Psychology of Waiting Lines by David H. Maister
When someone concentrates on the passage of time, it is often indicative of the person being unoccupied and feeling bored. In these moments, time can feel as though it is standing still.
In reviews mentioning negative wait time experiences, patients will often talk about its duration. This suggests that negative wait time experiences are ones where patients are without positive distractions. This causes waits to feel longer and more drawn out, resulting in patients becoming impatient, frustrated and feeling that their experiences are worthy of negative feedback.
Patients pay attention to reception and front desk staff
Reviews mentioning wait time experiences will often reference non-clinical staff. This is typically because these team members have the most interactions with patients as they wait.
When analysing the reasons why they are regularly mentioned in reviews about negative wait time experiences, we found a common theme – patients want and need communication from non-clinical staff members.
If a patient in a waiting room is told that the doctor will be delayed thirty minutes, he experiences an initial annoyance but then relaxes into an acceptance of the inevitability of the wait.
However, if the patient is told the doctor will be free soon, he spends the whole time in a state of nervous anticipation, unable to settle down, afraid to depart and come back.
If a patient in a waiting room is told that the doctor will be delayed thirty minutes, he experiences an initial annoyance but then relaxes into an acceptance of the inevitability of the wait.
However, if the patient is told the doctor will be free soon, he spends the whole time in a state of nervous anticipation, unable to settle down, afraid to depart and come back.
– The Psychology of Waiting Lines by David H. Maister
– The Psychology of Waiting Lines by David H. Maister
Many non-clinical staff members – including your administration and reception teams – play an important role in keeping patients informed throughout their journey.
When delays aren’t communicated effectively, it can cause uncertainty. This is turn can leave patients feeling uneasy, uncomfortable and more anxious.
Improper communication surrounding delays can also result in patients believing that their time isn’t valued. They can even view it as a lack of real care and compassion from the team.
Many non-clinical staff members – including your administration and reception teams – play an important role in keeping patients informed throughout their journey.
When delays aren’t communicated effectively, it can cause uncertainty. This is turn can leave patients feeling uneasy, uncomfortable and more anxious.
Improper communication surrounding delays can also result in patients believing that their time isn’t valued. They can even view it as a lack of real care and compassion from the team.
A warm and friendly welcome
When people enter your practice, they will typically feel anxious and uncertain about what lies ahead of them.
Always have someone at your front desk to greet patients warmly. This will help to put them at ease. It will also lead them into their healthcare journey feeling visible and valued. Noone wants to feel like a cog in a machine.
A supportive wait environment
Create a supportive waiting environment
With people often citing helpfulness as important within positive wait time experiences, make sure that patients have all the information that they need.
Pre-emptively give them directions to restrooms, coffee stations and the doctor’s office. Also, create a question-friendly environment. By simply asking “Do you have any questions for me?” at different points along a patient’s journey, you can help to make sure they feel properly supported.
An efficient wait time process
Make your wait time experience as efficient as possible
Look closely at your processes to determine what could be done to streamline your patient flow. Common factors that can impact efficiency include outdated technology, overburdened administrative staff members, ineffective staff communication and improper scheduling.
Communicate delays
Communicate delays to patients
Make patients aware of any delays as soon as they enter your practice. Inform them of how long the wait will be and if there are any changes, keep the patients up-to-date.
As patients feel more patient and comfortable when the know why there waiting, also give them a justifiable explanation for their delay.
Keep patients occupied
Keep patients occupied during their waits
When people are unoccupied, it can lengthen their perception of time. ‘Empty time’ with no distractions can feel longer to patients.
Positive distractions to think about introducing include refreshment stations, artwork and indoor plants. Technology, such as audio and free Wi-Fi, are also regularly used to occupy patients as they wait.
