Resource Centers:(News, information, and tools to support your practice)
September 2009
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Success File: The Psychology of waiting
Federal Express says “waiting is frustrating, demoralizing, agonizing, aggravating, annoying, time-consuming and incredibly expensive.”
And one place people most hate to wait is in a doctor’s office.
How long will patients remain tolerant about waiting beyond their appointment time? According to a study of 10,000 patients interviewed by the National Research Corporation the answer is l5 minutes.
Beyond that, if more time passes without an explanation, patients meeting in focus groups universally agree they would be angry, saying they would be “ready to leave the office.”
The following are some psychological truths about waiting, along with some suggestions to reduce anxiety associated with it.
• Uncertain lengths. Waits of uncertain length seem longer. Every 10 minutes have a staff member give waiting patients an update of approximately how much longer it will be. Avoid such phrases as “I can’t promise anything” or “I can’t say for sure. It’s a zoo today.”
• Extended delays. Extended delays, especially those without any explanation, are exasperating. If the delay is more than 15 minutes, allow patients to reschedule or run an errand and return.
If possible, call patients ahead of time and explain the delay, and then give them the option to reschedule or not.
• Unoccupied time. Occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time. For example: At the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, part of the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, patients can do research or check e-mail on available computers.
Aside from that, two walls of video screens play
• Unexplained waits. The frustration of unexplained waits is amplified by what is perceived as unfair waits.
For example: A newly arrived patient is seen ahead of a patient who arrived on time and has been waiting. This is a violation of the age-old principle, “first come, first served.”
There are a number of reasons why this might happen. Let those who have been patiently waiting know the reason.
• Unconcerned staff. The annoyance of waiting is also magnified when doctors and staff members don’t seem concerned or apologetic about the long delay. Patients who are kept waiting deserve an apology. “But not,” say focus group participants, “in a perfunctory way that makes the words meaningless.”
“It’s a serious problem when doctors are habitually late,” says Martha Hamilton, executive director of Tri-River Surgical, a four-clinic practice in Pittsburgh. “It makes patients feel undervalued. And that,” she adds “equals bad public relations.”
Hamilton says there are other dangers too. In an era when managed care organizations and other payers are demanding data on patient satisfaction, persistent tardiness in a doctor’s office can lead to declining scores.
From the success files: Among items on the Web site of Ian Shuman a dentist in Baltimore is his “Philosophy of Time,” which states:
“We know that you have reserved time in your busy life because caring for your dental health is important to you. We value your time and we pride ourselves on running on schedule.”
Do you have a philosophy of time? Does your staff know it? Has it been put into practice?
“If you can stay on time for appointments 90 percent of the time,” says Neil Gailmard, an optometrist in Munster, Ind., “you will stand out as a shining example in a sea of mediocrity. Becoming an ‘on time practice’ is good for patient relations, and it reduces stress on your staff.”
Bob Levoy’s newest book, 222 Secrets of Hiring, Managing, and Retaining Great Employees in Healthcare Practices, is published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers. He can be reached at b.levoy@att.net.
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